Basic Concepts in Phase-Transfer Catalysis

Abstract

Phase-transfer catalysis (PTC) is a powerful tool in many areas of chemistry. It is a technique for conducting reactions between two or more reagents in two or more phases, when reaction is inhibited because the reactants cannot easily come together. A ``phase-transfer agent'' is added to transfer one of the reagents to a location where it can conveniently and rapidly react with another reagent. It is also necessary that the transferred species be in a highly active state when transferred; otherwise large amounts of phase-transfer agent will be required. This activation function, plus the transfer function, allows phase-transfer catalysis to occur with only a catalytic amount of phase-transfer agent.