Ethyl formate → Sodium

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 40.9 g. of cyanacetaldehyde diethylacetal, 26.2 g. of formic acid ethyl ester and 100 ml. of absolute ether are added dropwise with stirring to a suspension of 7.4 g. of powdered sodium in 500 ml. of absolute ether. The mixture is stirred at room temperature until disappearance of the sodium (16 hours). Then, the brown precipitate formed (crude sodium salt of hydroxymethylene-cyanacetaldehyde diethylacetal) is left to settle and the supernatant solution is removed by decantation. The residue is washed by decanting twice with 200 ml. of absolute ether each time. The product is stored at 0° C. under absolute ether, since it changes on drying.

Provenance & Evidence