Acetic Anhydride → N,N'-1,3-Phenylenedimaleimide

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A glass flask was equipped with a thermometer, mechanical paddle stirrer and a water cooled condenser. Crushed maleic anhydride (1.92 parts) was added to a solution of 1 part m-phenylenediamine and 13 parts acetone over a 15-minute period. The heterogeneous reaction mixture was stirred at 40° C. for 1 hour. Acetic anhydride (2.44 parts), 0.32 part triethylamine, and 0.04 part magnesium acetate tetrahydrate were added all at once. The temperature was raised to 60° C. using a heating mantle and maintained for 4 hours. The reaction mixture was cooled, 20 parts water added, and the precipitated product isolated by filtration using a vacuum filter funnel. The filter cake was washed with water and dried for 24 hours at 60°-70° C. in a vacuum oven. A 74% yield of N,N'-m-phenylenedimaleimide, m.p. 203°-204° C. was obtained.

Provenance & Evidence