To use all functions of this page, please activate cookies in your browser.
my.chemeurope.com
With an accout for my.chemeurope.com you can always see everything at a glance – and you can configure your own website and individual newsletter.
- My watch list
- My saved searches
- My saved topics
- My newsletter
Phthalaldehyde
o-Phthalaldehyde is the chemical compound with the formula C6H4(CHO)2. Often abbreviated OPA, the molecule is a dialdehyde, consisting of two formyl (CHO) groups attached to adjacent carbon centres on a benzene ring. This pale yellow solid is a building block in the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds and a reagent in the analysis of amino acids. Additional recommended knowledge
SynthesisThe molecule was first described in 1887 when it was prepared from α,α,α',α’-tetrachloro-ortho-xylene.[1] A more modern synthesis is similar: the hydrolysis of the related tetrabromoxylene using potassium oxalate, followed by purification by steam distillation.[2] The reactivity of OPA is complicated by the fact that with water it forms both a mono- and dihydrate, C6H4(CHO)(CH2OH) and C6H4(CH2OH)2, respectively.[3] Isomeric phthalaldehydesRelated to o-phthalaldehyde are the meta and para isomers, which are respectively named isophthalaldehyde (m.p. 87-88 °C, CAS# 626-19-7) terephthalaldehyde (m.p. 114-116 °C, CAS# 623-27-8). References
External linksCategories: Aldehydes | Aromatic compounds |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Phthalaldehyde". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia. |