Formaldehyde → 3-(Hydroxymethyl)-4-methylpent-4-en-2-one

Participants

Reaction Steps

The reaction is carried out at temperatures between 20° and 130° C. The reaction time is, for example, 3 hours at 30° C and a few minutes at 100° C. Advantageously, the mesityl oxide and catalyst are initially introduced and formaldehyde is metered in. The 2-methyl-3-hydroxymethyl-pent-1-en-4-one can be isolated from the reaction mixture by, for example, distillation, advantageously after neutralising the basic catalyst.

Provenance & Evidence