Succinic anhydride, is an
organic compound
In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon- hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. Th ...
with the molecular formula (CH
2CO)
2O. This colorless solid is the
acid anhydride of
succinic acid.
Preparation
In the laboratory, this material can be prepared by dehydration of
succinic acid. Such dehydration can occur with the help of
acetyl chloride or
phosphoryl chloride, or thermally.
[
Industrially, succinic anhydride is prepared by catalytic hydrogenation of maleic anhydride.]
Reactions
Succinic anhydride hydrolyzes readily to give succinic acid:
:(CH2CO)2O + H2O → (CH2CO2H)2
With alcohols (ROH), a similar reaction occurs, delivering the monoester:
:(CH2CO)2O + ROH → RO2CCH2CH2CO2H
Succinic anhydride is used in acylations under Friedel-Crafts conditions, as illustrated by the industrial route to the drug Fenbufen.
Related compounds
Maleic anhydride undergoes the Alder-ene reaction with alkenes to give alkenylsuccinic anhydrides. Such compounds are sizing agents in the paper industry. In this role, the anhydride is proposed to form an ester with the hydroxyl groups on the cellulose fibers. Maleic anhydride undergoes a similar reaction with polyisobutylene to give polyisobutylenylsuccinic anhydride, a common building block chemical in the petroleum additives industry.
See also
* Maleic anhydride
References
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Carboxylic anhydrides
Oxygen heterocycles
Pentacyclic compounds