Self-condensation of ethyl acetate

Prepare
an appropriate amount of ethyl acetate as the main raw material for the reaction. A base catalyst, such as sodium glycolide, is also required, which plays a key catalytic role in the reaction process and promotes the occurrence and progress of the reaction.

Reaction process
In a clean and dry reaction vessel, a quantitative amount of ethyl acetate is injected, and then sodium glycolide is slowly added. The reaction system changes quietly at a suitable temperature, usually at 20-30 ° C. Among the molecules of ethyl acetate, under the catalysis of sodium glycolide, an active hydrogen atom interacts with the carbonyl group of another molecule to gradually initiate a condensation reaction. During this process, the molecular structure is rearranged, and the cleavage and formation of covalent bonds proceed in an orderly manner, gradually forming ethyl acetoacetate and ethanol.

After the reaction of product separation and purification
, the mixed product is obtained. Due to the difference in boiling points between ethyl acetoacetate and ethanol, it can be separated by distillation. The temperature control is near the boiling point of ethanol, so that the ethanol is vaporized and escaped first, and is collected by condensation. The remaining in the reaction vessel is mainly ethyl acetoacetate. However, at this time, the product may contain a little impurities, which can be further purified by vacuum distillation or recrystallization to obtain pure ethyl acetoacetate.

Reaction Significance The ethyl acetoacetate formed by the autocondensation of
ethyl acetate is widely used in the field of organic synthesis. It can be used as a key intermediate to prepare a variety of organic compounds such as drugs, fragrances, and dyes, greatly enriching the synthesis path of organic compounds and promoting the development and progress of organic synthetic chemistry.