- Sep 21, 2018 -
Meldrum's Acid | |
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Meldrum's Acid | |
Chemical name | 2,2-Dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione |
Chemical formula | C6H8O4 |
Molecular mass | 144.1253 g/mol |
CAS number | [2033-24-1] |
Density | ? g/cm3 |
Melting point | 94-96 °C |
Boiling point | ? °C |
SMILES | O=C(C1)OC(C)(C)OC1=O |
Disclaimer and references |
Meldrum's acid or 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione is an organic compound. The main ring structure is a dioxane. The compound was discovered in 1908 by A.N. Meldrum 1 and it is prepared by a condensation reaction of malonic acid with acetone in acetic anhydride with sulfuric acid. Meldrum misidentified 2 the structure as a beta-lactone with a fully fledged carboxylic acid group. Yet Meldrum's acid has a high acidity with a pKa of 4.97, because like ascorbic acid, deprotonation at the methylene next tothe carbonyls produces a stable enolate. Because of this property Meldrum's acid like malonic acid is a reactant in Knoevenagel condensations.