Editing Paraldehyde (section)

==Reactions==
Heated with catalytic amounts of acid, it depolymerizes back to [[acetaldehyde]]:<ref>{{OrgSynth | author = Kendall, E. C. | author2 = McKenzie, B. F. | title = dl-Alanine | collvol = 1 | collvolpages = 21 | year = 1941 | prep = cv1p0021}}</ref><ref>{{OrgSynth | title = Methyl isopropyl carbinol | collvol = 2 | collvolpages = 406 | year = 1943 | author = Nathan L. Drake | author2 = Giles B. Cooke | name-list-style=amp | prep = cv2p0406}}</ref>

:C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>12</sub>O<sub>3</sub> → 3CH<sub>3</sub>CHO

Since paraldehyde has better handling characteristics, it may be used indirectly or directly as a synthetic equivalent of anhydrous acetaldehyde (b.p.&nbsp;20&nbsp;°C). For example, it is used as-is in the synthesis of [[bromal]] (tribromoacetaldehyde):<ref>{{OrgSynth | author = F. A. Long | author2 = J. W. Howard | name-list-style=amp | title = Bromal | collvol = 2 | collvolpages = 87 | prep = cv2p0087}}</ref>

: C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>12</sub>O<sub>3</sub> + 9 Br<sub>2</sub> → 3 CBr<sub>3</sub>CHO + 9 HBr