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Trimethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate Me3OBF4 (sometimes called the "Meerwein salt" after Hans Meerwein) is a strong methylating agent, being a source of CH3+. It is a white solid. Triethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate is a closely related reagent.
Preparation and reactions
The compound is prepared by the reaction of boron trifluoride with dimethyl ether and epichlorohydrin:
4 Me2O·BF3 + 2 Me2O + 3 C2H3(O)CH2Cl → 3 Me3O+BF−4 + B[(OCH(CH2Cl)CH2OMe]3
The salt hydrolyzes readily:
Me3OBF4 + H2O → Me2O + MeOH + HBF4References
Trimethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA