Pyrolysis of Silica-Immobilized Benzyl Phenyl Ether:  Competing Radical Rearrangement Pathways under Restricted Diffusion

Pyrolysis studies of silica-immobilized benzyl phenyl ether (≈PhOCH2Ph or ≈BPE), a model for related ether structures in fuel resources, have been conducted at 275−325 °C to examine the impact of restricted mass transport on the pyrolysis mechanism compared with previous studies in fluid phases. Significant rearrangement chemistry is observed for ≈BPE occurring through two competitive free-radical pathways that are both promoted by the diffusional constraints. One path involves recombination of incipient benzyl and surface-bound phenoxy radicals to form benzylphenol isomers, 10. The second, previously unreported rearrangement path for ≈BPE involves a 1,2-phenyl shift in an intermediate radical, ≈PhOCH·Ph, leading to formation of benzhydrol (8) and benzophenone (9) as principal products. The rearrangement products 8−10 typically account for ca. 50% of the pyrolysis products. However, the path selectivity is a sensitive function of ≈BPE surface coverage and the presence of spacer molecules that either facilitate or hinder hydrogen atom transfer steps on the surface.