ethoxyethyl cyanoacetate

Ethoxyethyl α-cyanoacrylate was synthesized by first making oligo(ethoxyethyl α-cyanoacrylate) through a condensation reaction of ethoxyethyl cyanoacetate with paraformaldehyde, followed by a depolymerization of the oligomer at an elevated temperature in an acidic atmosphere with a high vacuum. The ethoxyethyl cyanoacetate was in turn synthesized from an esterification of ethoxyethanol and cyanoacetic acid. The molecular structure of the target monomer and the corresponding intermediates were corroborated by IR and 1H-NMR.