[simonraj]

OK, thank you.

An alternative to TEL is Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether.

I have now idea if it will work. But I do not advise the use of tetraethyl lead, which is an extremely toxic substance.
Anyway the higher the temperature the greater the chance of side reactions.

[discodermolide]

OK, thank you.

An alternative to TEL is Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether.

I have now idea if it will work. But I do not advise the use of tetraethyl lead, which is an extremely toxic substance.
Anyway the higher the temperature the greater the chance of side reactions.

I fail to see how MTBE can be an alternative to tetraethyl lead!!!!!
As I said many times before you will get a mixture using these conditions.

Can you not utilize two starting materials and couple them?

[AWK]

http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/3948741.html

[orgopete]

Why not start with an alpha olefin, like 1-dodecene?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_alpha_olefin