Ethylidene diacetate
Ethylidene diacetate is an organic compound with the formula 2CHCH3. A colorless low-melting solid, it once served as a precursor to vinyl acetate.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:
