Ethylidene diacetate
Ethylidene diacetate is an organic compound with the formula 2CHCH3. A colorless low-melting solid, ethylidene diacetate once served as a precursor to vinyl acetate, a valued monomer.
Preparation
A major industrial route involves the reaction of acetaldehyde and acetic anhydride in the presence of a ferric chloride catalyst:It can be converted to the valuable monomer vinyl acetate by thermal elimination of acetic acid: