Formaldehyde → 2-Nitro-2-isopropyl-1,3-propanediol

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of 2-methyl-1-nitropropane (38.7 g, 0.375 mol, prepared by the procedure of N. Kornblum, B Tunbe, and H. Ungnade, J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 76, 3209 (1954)) and NEt3 (Eastman, 3.79 g, 0.0375 mol) in CH3OH (50 mL) was added dropwise 37% aqueous formaldehyde solution (Mallinckrodt, 76.2 g, 0.938 mol) at a rate such that the reaction mixture temperature did not exceed 30°. After 72 h, the solution was concentrated under vacuum and the residue was dissolved in H2O (250 mL). The solution was continuously extracted for 1 h with CH2Cl2 (1 L). The CH2Cl2 solution was dried (MgSO4), filtered, and concentrated to give 53.3 g (87%) of 2-isopropyl-2-nitro-1,3-propanediol, as a waxy, white solid mp 67°-72° C. (lit. mp 87°-88° B. M. Vanderbilt and H. B. Hass, Ind. Eng. Chem. 32, 34 (1940). In our hands this procedure failed to give the desired compound).

Provenance & Evidence