Method C. Octadecylation Reaction. The octadecylation of a coal requires a special workup as well as twice the reaction time as the general procedure already described. For removal of excess octadecyl bromide, methanol was used instead of water throughout the entire procedure. Methanol is an excellent solvent for tetrabutylammonium halides. Fortunately, 0- octadecylated coal is virtually insoluble in methanol. Thus, all the reagents can be easily ...