Method of preparing monoethers of alkylene glycols

Abstract

The reaction of an organic monohydroxy compound with a monomeric epoxide is catalyzed by insoluble, polymeric composition having tetraalkyl phosphonium alkoxide, aryloxide or hydroxide containing pendant groups. These groups have the structure ##STR1## wherein n is an integer from 1 to 3, preferably 3, m is an integer from 1-6, preferably 3-6, R is an alkyl group of from 1 to 6 C atoms, R' is H, an alkyl, CN, or other group inert to reaction with phosphonium halides, alkoxides or the phosphonium salt resins or in some instances to organolithium reagents and X is an alkoxy, cycloalkoxy or aryloxy group, or an OH group. The above catalysts are readily removed from the reaction mixture because of their insolubility. They are particularly useful for making monoethers of the structure A(OA').sub.b OH where A is the nonhydroxyl residue of the monohydroxy compound and A' is the nonhydroxy residue of an epoxide monomer, and b is an integer of from 1 to about 20 with b = 1-5 preferred.