High-boiling-point dimethylacetamide

Esters, tertiary amides, and nitriles are frequently used as solvents for organic reactions because they provide a polar reaction medium without O—H or N—H groups that can donate protons or act as nucleophiles. Ethyl acetate is a moderately polar solvent with a boiling point of 77 °C, convenient for easy evaporation from a reaction mixture. Acetonitrile, dimethylformamide (DMF), and dimethylacetamide (DMA) are highly polar solvents that solvate ions almost as well as water, but without the reactivity of O—H or N—H groups. These three solvents are miscible with water and are often used in solvent mixtures with water. 

Nevertheless, ytterbium and erbium incorporation in a porphyrin macrocycle faces certain difficulties. For this purpose highly boiling solvent, long time of heating and use of inert gas are required. In Ref [5] incorporation of erbium and gadolinium in a porphyrin cycle in the medium of dimethylacetamide Boiling point (B.p.) 165°C in a presence of dry lithium chloride is described. 

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