Formaldehyde → Methyl diacetate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

5 g of concentrated sulphuric acid are added dropwise to a suspension of 300 g of paraformaldehyde in 1,020 g of acetic anhydride in the course of 5 minutes, during which the temperature rises from room temperature to about 100° C. When the addition had ended, the mixture is heated to 150° C. and is stirred at this temperature for 3 hours. It is then cooled to room temperature, 25 g of sodium acetate are added and the volatile constituents are distilled off in vacuo. About 1,300 g of distillate are thereby obtained, and are then fractionated, with addition of 10 g of sodium acetate, over a 50 cm packed column. 1,150 g (87.1% of theory) of methylene diacetate of boiling point 96° to 99° C. under 90 mbar are thereby obtained.

Provenance & Evidence