Formaldehyde → 3-Cyclohexene-1,1-dimethanol

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

One hundred (100) parts by weight of a formaldehyde aqueous solution (37 wt. % formaldehyde) was charged to a reactor. To this solution, cooled externally with an ice-water bath, was added 118 parts of an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution (25 wt. % sodium hydroxide) by several portions and the temperature of the reaction content was maintained at 20 to 30° C. This was followed by a slow addition of 54 parts of 1,2,5,6-tetrahydrobenzaldehyde at such a rate that the reaction content temperature did not exceed 55° C. After the exotherm dissipated, it was heated at 55° C. for two hours with an external heating. The product precipitated out of the solution upon cooling and was collected by suction filtration. The wet-cake was washed thoroughly in the funnel with copious amount of water (5×100 parts). The crude product was allowed to dry in air overnight and purified by a recrystallization from toluene. The final product was an off-white colored crystalline material (yield 70%. m.p.: 92-93° C.).

Provenance & Evidence