Formaldehyde → 3-Hydroxy-2,6-bis(hydroxymethyl)-4-pyrone

Participants

Reaction Steps

Kojic acid, 28 g, was suspended in 100 ml of water and a pH of the suspension was adjusted to 10.5 with 50% sodium hydroxide. After 16 ml of 35% formalin was added to the suspension, the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 3 hours. After completion of the reaction, the reaction mixture was cooled to 5° C. and its pH was adjusted to 2.0 with 50% sulfuric acid. Then, the reaction solution was concentrated to about 50 ml and the resulting crystals were taken out by filtration, washed with a small quantity of chilled water and dried to give 28 g of the title compound.

Provenance & Evidence