Convenient multigram synthesis of monodisperse oligo(ethylene glycols): effective reaction monitoring by infrared spectroscopy using an attenuated total reflection fibre optic probe

A convenient approach for the synthesis of monodisperse oligo(ethylene glycols) up to 12 units is described. A novel cleavage protocol replacing laborious hydrogenolysis is introduced to achieve a fast, inexpensive and widely applicable procedure. In addition to the synthetic part, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy using a fibre optic attenuated total reflection (ATR) sensor was applied to monitor the formation of sensitive key intermediates, resulting in optimized reaction times. By applying this in-line technique, the possibility of real-time analysis under inert conditions was impressively demonstrated.