Formaldehyde → Methyl propionate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A 250 ml stainless steel, magnetically stirred autoclave was filled with 0.1 mmol palladium(II)acetate, 5 mmol bisphenyl(2-pyridyl)phosphine, 4 mmol p-toluenesulfonic acid, 40 ml (500 mmol) pyridine, 20 ml methanol and 5 g paraformaldehyde. Air was then evacuated from autoclave, and then carbon monoxide (30 bar) and ethene (20 bar) were added. The autoclave was then sealed and heated to a temperature of 110° C. After a reaction time of 5 hours, a sample of the contents of the autoclave was withdrawn and analyzed by gas liquid chromatography. Two products were found; methoxymethylpropionate, which had been formed with a selectivity of 10%, and methylpropionate, which had been formed with a selectivity of 90%. The mean reaction rate was calculated to be 200 mol ethene/gram atom Pd/hour.

Provenance & Evidence