Penn A Kem's Viridisol® M (2-MeTHF): Higher Extraction Yields + Easier Recycling = Cost Savings
In today's chemical industry, finding new ways to improve the sustainability of chemical manufacturing processes while balancing performance and cost is increasingly important. When carrying out extractions and Grignard, biphasic, or organometallic reactions, Penn A Kem's bio-based Viridisol® M (methyltetrahydrofuran, 2-MeTHF) offers improved performance, reduced costs, and minimized environmental impact when replacing solvents such as tetrahydrofuran (THF) and methylene chloride (dichloromethane, DCM).
Penn A Kem's 2-MeTHF has made immediate impacts on chemical manufacturing processes and applications within the pharmaceutical, flavor and fragrance, and specialty chemical industries in the following ways:
Better Performance
Easier product recovery
Improved yields for bromo, benzyl, and allyl Grignard reagents
Better drying with fewer losses and lower costs for easier recycling than THF
Cleaner phase separations than THF with toluene
Higher reaction temperatures and fewer losses
Better stability in acidic and basic conditions
Green
Derived from furfural originating from agricultural waste products
Not tied to oil-derived raw materials
Manufactured with compliance to SOCMA's EHS&S Management System
Catalysts used in manufacturing process are recovered and recycled
Hydrogen used in 2-MeTHF synthesis is produced on-site and on demand
Solvent Comparison Information
2-MeTHF
THF
DCM
Boiling point (°C)
80
66
40
Density (at 20°C)
0.86
0.89
1.32
Water solubility in solvent (% at 20°C)
4.1
Infinite
2.0
Water azeotrope composition (% water)
10.6
6.7
1.5
Example Applications for 2-MeTHF:
Organometallic/metal-catalyzed coupling reactions
Organopalladium reactions
Organozinc reactions
Reformatsky reactions
Organolithium reactions
Lithiation reactions
Lithium hydride reductions
Grignard reactions
Biphasic reactions
Extractions of APIs, catalysts, and more
Why choose 2-MeTHF over tetrahydrofuran (THF)? Compared to THF, 2-MeTHF provides the following benefits:
More efficient extraction solvent for a wide range of extract polarities
Reduces the number of extraction steps and increases product recovery
Increases yield in Grignard reactions by up to 300%, depending on the reagent
Cleaner phase separations using water; does not require the addition of toluene to achieve phase separation
Safer due to its lower volatility and higher flash point
Higher boiling point, resulting in less solvent lost to the atmosphere
Inversely soluble in water
Easier to recycle and dry, reducing recycling costs
More stable in both acidic and basic conditions
Degrades about 6x slower under typical process conditions
Derived from renewable resources and not petroleum
Why choose 2-MeTHF over methylene chloride/dichloromethane (DCM)? Compared to DCM, 2-MeTHF provides the following benefits:
Strong solvent for polar compounds typically soluble in DCM
Non-halogenated solvent
Allows water washes to decant from the reactor bottom instead of the top
Inversely soluble in water
Higher boiling point, resulting in less solvent lost to the atmosphere
More effective drying solvent due to the water content in the azeotrope
Why Choose Penn A Kem's MeTHF?
Penn A Kem is the world leader in furan ring chemistries and has been the premier producer of MeTHF for over 25 years.
Penn A Kem's MeTHF is derived from agricultural waste products that would otherwise rot
