Etherification with high selectivity and yield has been one of the challenges for expanding the realm of glycerol transformations. In this work, a small glycerol triether molecule, 1,2,3-triethoxypropane (1,2,3-TEP, CAS 162614-45-1), was designed and synthesized through a two-step strategy using epichlorohydrin as the starting material with ethanol and bromoethane as etherification reagents. The overall yield (after rigorous distillation) was 43.9%, higher than those of methods previously published in the literature. Thermophysical properties for 1,2,3-TEP are herein reported for the first time. Densities and viscosities measured at 1 atm from 20 to 80 °C show that 1,2,3-TEP is a less dense and less viscous liquid than glycerol and the corresponding 1,3-diether intermediate, 1,3-diethoxypropan-2-ol (1,3-DEP, CAS #4043-59-8). CO 2 solubility in 1,2,3-TEP was investigated under pressures of 2−8 atm at 30, 45, 60, and 75 °C with respective K H values of 46.2, 57.4, 69.4, and 81.7 atm, enabling reliable predictions on CO 2 solubility within this range of temperature and pressure conditions. Comparison of Henry's law constants and vapor pressure between 1,2,3-TEP and diglyme from 0 to 75 °C has indicated its potential as an alternative CO 2 capture solvent to those used in the Selexol process. 1,2,3-TEP showed broad miscibility with common solvents except water. The dipole moment of the minimum energy structure in the gas phase is calculated to be 1.47 D, but this value increases to 2.5−2.7 D in common solvents. The data obtained in this work are meaningful in guiding the further synthesis of a series of glycerol triether derivatives and developing uses for 1,2,3-TEP and related compounds.
