Ethyl L-lactate is used in the preparation of food additives, aryl aldimines, fragrances and in pharmaceutical preparations. It can be considered as a green solvent in chemical industries due to its biodegradable nature. As a solvent, it used in the production of nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate and cellulose ethers.
This Thermo Scientific Chemicals brand product was originally part of the Alfa Aesar product portfolio. Some documentation and label information may refer to the legacy brand. The original Alfa Aesar product / item code or SKU reference has not changed as a part of the brand transition to Thermo Scientific Chemicals.
Applications
Ethyl L-lactate is used in the preparation of food additives, aryl aldimines, fragrances and in pharmaceutical preparations. It can be considered as a green solvent in chemical industries due to its biodegradable nature. As a solvent, it used in the production of nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate and cellulose ethers.
Solubility
Miscible with water and chloroform.
Notes
Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents.
RUO – Research Use Only
Ethyl (or isobutyl) L-lactate adds to aryl methyl ketenes to give esters of 2-arylpropionic acids in which the chirality is transferred to the new chiral center to a surprising degree: J. Am. Chem. Soc., 111, 7650 (1989):
Silylation followed by reaction with MeLi gives a useful chiral synthon. For preparation and discussion of reactivity, see: Org. Synth. Coll., 9, 139 (1998):
For reaction with Diphenylphosphonic azide, A12124, in the prepartaion, with inversion, of ethyl (R)-2-azidopropionate, see: Org. Synth., 75, 31 (1997).
Upare, P. P.; Lee, M.; Hwang, D. W.; Hwang, Y. K.; Chang, J. S. New heterogeneous Pb oxide catalysts for lactide production from an azeotropic mixture of ethyl lactate and water. Catal. Commun. 2014, 56, 179-183.
Williams, J. D.; Torhan, M. C.; Neelagiri, V. R.; Brown, C.; Bowlin, N. O.; Di, M.; Moir, D. T. Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of novel phenoxyacetamide inhibitors of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion system (T3SS). Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2015, 23 (5), 1027-1043.