Water → 1,2-Butanediol diacetate

To a mixture of 0.34 g of optically active 1,2-butanediol, 5 ml of toluene and 2.5 ml of pyridine, 1.2 g of acetyl chloride was added dropwise in an ice bath and stirred for two hours. 10 ml of water and 10 ml of toluene were added to the reaction mixture and stirred. The obtained solution was washed with 2N sodium hydroxide and then with water. The toluene solution dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate. Toluene was distilled away from the solution under reduced pressure, the residue was purified with a chromatograph over silica gel, and 1,2-butanediol diacetate was obtained. The obtained compound had a gas chromatographic purity of 95.0%. It showed a specific rotation of [α]D30 +14.8(c=1.12, CHCl3).