3-[2-(Acetyloxy)ethyl]dihydro-2(3H)-furanone → 2H-Pyran-4-carboxylic acid, tetrahydro-, methyl ester

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution consisting of 57 wt % of 3-(2'-acetoxyethyl)-dihydro-2(3H)furanone and 43wt % of methanol was pumped into an evaporator (300° C.) at a rate of 170 g per hour, whence the vapors were passed together with 80 L/h of nitrogen over 560 g (950 mL) of Al2O3 (1.3 mm extrudates) at a reactor temperature of 250° C. using a trickle-bed method. The gaseous effluent was condensed in cold traps and analyzed by gas chromatography. 61 mol % of methyl tetrahydropyran-4-carboxylate was formed, plus 26 mol % of 3-(2'-methoxyethyl)-dihydro-2(3H)furanone and 5 mol % of 5-oxaspiro[2.4]heptan-4-one. The conversion of 3-(2'-acetoxyethyl)-dihydro-2(3H)furanone was 97%.

Provenance & Evidence