Acetic anhydride is a reagent that is used in the manufacturing of acetyl compounds and cellulose acetates. It is also utilized as a solvent in the examination of wool fat, glycerol, fatty and volatile oils, and resins. In the synthesis of organic compounds, acetic anhydride is used in various reactions, including the cleavage of dialkyl ethers, the formation of anhydrides from carboxylic acids, the addition of methylthiomethyl groups to phenol rings, and the addition of acyl and acyloxy groups across double bonds. Acetic anhydride has been used to hyperacetylate histones to investigate transcriptional effects of the NAD-dependent histone deacetylase Sir2 in Drosophila on a complex of the hyperacetylated histones with DNA. Acetic anhydride is utilized in an assay of a fluorescently labeled peptide catalyst library for application to the resolution of secondary alcohols.
Key Applications: Reagent, Solvent
Application Areas: Chemistry
Product Type: Biochemicals
Density: 1.08 g/mL (Lit.)
Auto Ignition: 629 °F(Lit.)
Boiling Point: 138 - 140°C (Lit.)
Melting Point: -73°C (Lit.)
Vapor Density: 3.5 (vs air)(Lit.)
Vapor Pressure: 10 mmHg (36°C), 4 mmHg (20°C) (Lit.)
Refractive Index: n20/D 1.390 (Lit.)
Presentation: Clear, Colorless Liquid
Format: Liquid
Detection Method: FTIR
NOTES: expl. lim. 10.3 % (Lit.); Molarity: 10.6 M (calculated from density and molecular weight)
Solubility: Miscible in chloroform and ether. In alcohol, it will form ethyl acetate. In water (0.1 mL/mL, v/v), this product will slowly form acetic acid.
Storage & Handling: Store at Room Temperature (15-30°C). Store Desiccated.