Dialkyl ethylene glycol ether

Liquid product analysis by glc, also detected water, alkyl formates, butanols, acetaldehyde, 2-methyl-l,3-dioxolane, dialkyl ethers, glycol monoalkyl ethers and ethylene glycol CO2 and CH4 present in the product gas samples, along with larger quantities of unreacted CO/H2. 

The reaction has fairly strict solvent limitations. Polar aprotic solvents are required, the most usual being the dialkyl phthalates and ethylene glycol dimethyl ether. Other esters are also useful, but acetone, ethanol and halogenated hydrocarbons are much less effective. Some admixture of tert. butanol (up to about 5%) has little effect, but water and other alcohols reduce the quantum yield. It is interesting that the active site of firefly luciferase is known to be particularly hydrophobic. The mechanisms of the two reactions are rather similar in that both require a highly active ester (the adenylate in the case of the firefly). Attack by peroxide occurs in both cases (m mmolecular in the luciferin) and this process may require a non-aqueous environment for maximum efficiency. Some of the most efficient oxalates are listed in Table 2. 

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