Formaldehyde → Phenyl acetate

Participants

Reaction Steps

In order to fully achieve the objects of this invention and optimize the formation of paraformaldehyde, it is essential that acetic anhydride be metered into the reaction mixture at a rate such that there is sufficient acetic anhydride present to selectively react with one of the toluene oxidation products, (phenol) to give phenyl acetate but not enough acetic anhydride to convert the other oxidation product (formaldehyde) to methylene diacetate, under reaction conditions. This may conveniently be accomplished by careful control of the amount of acetic anhydride introduced into the reaction as the oxidation process is monitored, e.g., by conventional chromatographic techniques.

Provenance & Evidence