Acetyl chloride → Benzoic anhydride

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Reaction Steps

As seen below, benzoyl chloride, acetyl chloride and pivaloyl chloride were tested for use in the present invention. The best results were obtained with benzoyl chloride, which provided a yield of the acrylic anhydride of 77.2%. Acetyl chloride gave a less preferred product mixture that comprised 50% mixed anhydride, 25% acetic anhydride and 25% acrylic anhydride; the pivaloyl chloride reaction also gave a less preferred product mixture that comprised 50% mixed anhydride, 30% pivaloyl anhydride and 20% acrylic anhydride, based on gas chromatographic analysis. Benzoyl chloride is also more preferred than acetyl chloride and trimethyacetyl (pivaloyl) chloride, because the benzoyl chloride reaction yields benzoic anhydride which has a much greater boiling point than acrylic anhydride, facilitating the separation of the acrylic anhydride.

Provenance & Evidence