Water → 4-Methoxyphenol

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 40 g of the above propoxylated pentaerythritol, 30.2 g acrylic acid, 0.4 g of copper (I) oxide and 1.2 cm3 conc. H2SO4 in toluene (150 cm3) was heated with stirring in the presence of a Dean and Stark trap. The reaction was allowed to continue until 6.1 cm3 of water had been liberated. The mixture was then cooled and washed with 20% w/v aqueous sodium chloride (2×50 cm3 aliquots), then with 15% w/v aqueous potassium bicarbonate (2×100 cm3 aliquots) and finally a further wash with 20% w/v aqueous sodium chloride (2×50 cm3 aliquots). The resulting solution was then filtered and dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate. The solvent was then removed leaving the polyacrylate product as a colourless oil to which 0.2% w/w of 4-methoxyphenol, a polymerisation inhibitor, was then added.

Provenance & Evidence