Org. Synth. 1952, 32, 5
DOI: 10.15227/orgsyn.032.0005
ACROLEIN ACETAL
[Acrolein diethyl acetal]
Submitted by J. A. VanAllan
1
Checked by T. L. Cairns and R. E. Benson.
1. Procedure
A warm solution of 3 g. of ammonium nitrate in 50 ml. of anhydrous ethanol is added to a mixture of 44 g. (52.4 ml., 0.79 mole) of acrolein and 144 g. (160 ml., 0.97 mole) of ethyl orthoformate, and the mixture is allowed to react at room temperature for 6–8 hours (Note 1). The light-red solution is filtered, 4 g. of sodium carbonate is added, and the reaction mixture is distilled from the sodium carbonate through a good column (Note 2). The fraction boiling at 120–125° is acrolein acetal and weighs 73–81 g. (72–80%); nD25 1.398–1.407 (Note 3).
2. Notes
1.
Refluxing causes the formation of some resinous material. The solution remains warm for about 1.5 hours after mixing.
2.
The column described by Pingert
2 is suggested.
3.
This reaction appears to be of general application;
crotonaldehyde diethyl acetal is formed in
68% yield; b.p.
145–147°;
nD25 1.409. (In this preparation the amount of
ethyl orthoformate used is reduced to exactly one equivalent since it distils at
142–143°. For this particular acetal, it is preferable to use
ethyl orthosilicate according to Helferich.
3)
Tiglylaldehyde diethyl acetal is formed in
79% yield; b.p.
158–160°;
nD25 1.419.
3. Discussion
These have been reviewed previously.
2,4 The procedure described above is an adaptation of a method reported in a German patent.
5 It has been claimed that the reaction of
acrolein with
ethanol in the presence of
hydrochloric acid2 produces a mixture of substances from which no
acrolein acetal can be isolated.
6 More recently it has been reported
7 that
acrolein acetal is formed in
62% yield from
acrolein and
ethanol in the presence of
p-toluenesulfonic acid.
Appendix
Chemical Abstracts Nomenclature (Collective Index Number);
(Registry Number)
ethanol (64-17-5)
hydrochloric acid (7647-01-0)
Acrolein (107-02-8)
sodium carbonate (497-19-8)
ammonium nitrate
Ethyl orthoformate
Acrolein acetal
Acrolein diethyl acetal (3054-95-3)
crotonaldehyde diethyl acetal
ethyl orthosilicate
Tiglylaldehyde diethyl acetal (51786-74-4)
p-toluenesulfonic acid (104-15-4)
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