formaldehyde - Sciencemadness Dot Org

ITS
FORMALDEHYDE
ami it- polviiueU-ar methylene derivatives, Koebnei" claims to have synthesized
pure m-stalline polymethylene derivatives containing up to five
p-f-re-ol nuclei. ' The dimethylol derivatives of the di- and tri-nudear
compound? were prepared by alkaline condensation of the corresponding
phenol? with formaldehyde, using added methanol as a subsidiary reaction
solvent. Theae various products, illustrating successive steps in the cresolformaldehyde
condensation* are shown below:
H
O CH2
H
0
HOCH/ V ^CH3OH
CH3 CH,
Di-nucUar dialcohol
{m.p, I48.5 e C)
H
O
HOCH
CHS
CHa CHj CH3
Tri-nvclear Dialcokol
(m.p. 194°C)
H H H
O OH, O CHS 0 CH;
CH3
TTi~nuclear phenol
(m.p.21o°C)
CH2OH
H
O
CH3 CHa CH,
H
CH2 0 CH2
Tetra-nuclear Phenol
(m.p. 173°C)
H H
O GH2 O CH2
W W W X /N
CHS CH, CH*
Penta-nuclear Phenol
(m.p. 202-206°©
CH*
H
0