Formaldehyde → 2,5,7,10-Tetraoxaundecane

Participants

Reaction Steps

1045 g of 2-methoxyethanol (Mr =76,1), 194 g of paraformaldehyde (Mr =30.03 based on formaldehyde) and 16 g of p-toluenesulfonic acid (Mr =172.2) are reacted for 2 hours at 90° C. The water of reaction is then removed by distillation. The reaction mixture is distilled under reduced pressure (c. 20 mbar), affording 758 g of bis(2-methoxyethoxy)methane (Mr =164.21) in c. 99% purity, yield: 67% of theory. The remainder (33%) consists almost completely of the educt, which can be recycled, so that total yields of over 97% result.

Provenance & Evidence