Editing Paraldehyde (section)

== Preparation ==
Paraldehyde can be produced by the direct reaction of [[acetaldehyde]] and [[sulfuric acid]]. The product of the reaction is dependent on the temperature. At room temperature and higher, the formation of trimer is preferred, but at lower temperatures, around  −10 °C, the [[tetramer]] [[metaldehyde]] is more likely to be produced.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Latscha | first1=Hans Peter | last2=Kazmaier | first2=Uli | last3=Klein | first3=Helmut A. | title=Chemie für Biologen mit 71 Tabellen | publication-place=Berlin | date=2005 | isbn=978-3-540-21161-7 | oclc=76495748 | language=de |page=515}}</ref>

:[[File:Paraldehyde metaldehyde synthesis.svg|400px]]

The reaction of sulfuric acid and acetaldehyde is exothermic, with the heat of reaction being −113&nbsp;kJ·mol<sup>−1</sup>.<ref>{{citation | last1=Eckert | first1=Marc | last2=Fleischmann | first2=Gerald | last3=Jira | first3=Reinhard | last4=Bolt | first4=Hermann M. | last5=Golka | first5=Klaus | title=Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry | chapter=Acetaldehyde | publisher=Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA | publication-place=Weinheim, Germany | date=2006-12-15 | doi=10.1002/14356007.a01_031.pub2| isbn=3527306730 }}</ref>