Crotonaldehyde, reaction with malonic

Sorbic acid is prepared by the condensation of crotonaldehyde with malonic acid in the presence of pyridine at 100° (Doebner reaction) ... 

Add 4 g. of malonic acid to 4 ml. of pyridine, and then add 3 1 ml. of crotonaldehyde. Boil the mixture gently under reflux over an asbestos-covered gauze, using a small Bunsen flame, for 40 minutes and then cool it in ice-water. Meanwhile add 2 ml. of concentrated sulphuric acid carefully with shaking to 4 ml. of water, cool the diluted acid, and add it with shaking to the chilled reaction-mixture. Sorbic acid readily crystallises from the solution. Filter the sorbic acid at the pump, wash it with a small quantity of cold water and then recrystallise it from water (ca, 25 ml.). The colourless crystals, m.p. 132-133°, weigh ro-i-2 g. 

The first synthesis of sorbic acid was from crotonaldehyde [4170-30-3] and malonic acid [141-82-2] in pyridine in 32% yield (2,17,18)- The yield can be improved with the use of malonic acid salts (19). One of the first commercial methods involved the reaction of ketene and crotonaldehyde in the presence of boron trifluoride in ether at 0°C (20,21). A P-lactone (4) forms and then reacts with acid, giving a 70% yield. 

Crotonaldehyde and malonic acid interacts in the presence of p3rridine i.e., a base, to yield sorbic acid together with one mole each of water and carbon dioxide. P3rridine acts as a catalyst in making the reaction proceed in the forward direction only. 

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