Maleic Anhydride Description

Maleic Anhydride is an amoebic admixture with the blueprint C2H2(CO)2O. It is the acid anhydride of maleic acid and in its authentic accompaniment is a achromatic or white solid with an acid odor.

Maleic anhydride was commonly bogus by the blaze of benzene or added ambrosial compounds. As of 2006, alone a few abate plants abide to use benzene; due to ascent benzene prices, a lot of maleic anhydride plants now use n-butane as a feedstock.

The allure of maleic anhydride is actual rich, absorption its accessible availability and bifunctional reactivity. It hydrolyzes, bearing maleic acid, cis-HOOC–CH=CH–COOH. With alcohols such as methanol, the half-ester is generated, e.g., cis-HOOC–CH=CH–COOCH3.

Maleic anhydride is a almighty dienophile in Diels-Alder reactions. It is aswell a ligand for low-valent metal complexes, examples getting Pt(PPh3)2(MA) and Fe(CO)4(MA).

Maleic anhydride dimerizes in a photochemical acknowledgment to anatomy cyclobutane tetracarboxylic dianhydride (CBTA). The admixture is used in the assembly of polyimides and as an alignment blur for aqueous clear displays.