1,4-Dioxane-2,5-dione, 3,6-dimethyl-, (3R,6S)-rel- → Lactide

Participants

Reaction Steps

When DL-lactic acid is used as a raw material, the crude lactide has a high meso-lactide content. When the crude lactide is gradually cooled, DL-lactide is precipitated and allowed to persist in the form of crystals in the molten meso-lactide phase and the whole crude lactide assumes a slurry state. The crude lactide in the slurry state is mixed with a substantially equal weight of water and the resultant mixture is immediately cooled to the vicinity of 30° C. for the purpose of preventing DL-lactide from undergoing hydrolysis and kept stirred at this temperature for a period in the range of 30 minutes to one hour, with the result that meso-lactide is dissolved in water and, at the same time, part of the dissolved meso-lactide undergoes hydrolysis. The crystals of DL-lactide are separated by filtration from the water phase and are dissolved in such an organic solvent as acetone or MIBK thereby recrystallizing therefrom to produce easily DL-lactide crystals of high purity.

Provenance & Evidence