Dimethyl oxalate

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  • Identifiers

    CAS number
    553-90-2

    Molecular formula
    C4H6O4

    SMILES
    COC(=O)C(=O)OC

    Safety labels

    Corrosive
    Corrosive

    Irritant
    Irritant

  • Odor profile

    Fragrance
    Fruity 78.98%
    Caramellic 64.1%
    Ethereal 53.51%
    Winey 47.86%
    Sweet 44.72%
    Burnt 42.63%
    Rummy 41.22%
    Sharp 31.87%
    Buttery 31.79%
    Apple 30.78%

     

    Flavor
    Fruity 67.78%
    Creamy 36.18%
    Buttery 33.03%
    Sweet 31.0%
    Floral 24.61%
    Sharp 24.15%
    Grape 24.1%
    Green 24.05%
    Butter 23.81%
    Fatty 23.48%

     

    Odor impact est.
    High

  • Properties

    XLogP3-AA
    -0.2

    pKa est.
    4.99 (weak acid)

    Molecular weight
    118.09 g/mol

    Vapor pressure est.

    • hPa @ 20°C
    • hPa @ 25°C

    Evaporation rate
    Very fast

    Boiling point est.
    171°C

    Flash point

    • 48.95 ˚C est.

  • Synonyms

    • Dimethyl oxalate
    • 553-90-2
    • METHYL OXALATE
    • Oxalic acid dimethyl ester
    • Ethanedioic acid, dimethyl ester
    • Dimethyloxalate
    • Oxalic acid, dimethyl ester
    • dimethyl ethanedioate
    • MFCD00008442
    • IQ3Q79344S
    • NSC-9374
    • Ethanedioic acid, 1,2-dimethyl ester
    • dimethyl ethane-1,2-dioate
    • NSC 9374
    • EINECS 209-053-6
    • UNII-IQ3Q79344S
    • AI3-21214
    • SCHEMBL8295
    • METHYL OXALATE [MI]
    • CHEBI:6859
    • DTXSID9060287
    • NSC9374
    • BB_SC-07155
    • HY-Y0856
    • BBL011507
    • SBB040902
    • STL146620
    • AKOS000269022
    • Dimethyl oxalate, ReagentPlus(R), 99%
    • AS-12646
    • NS00013598
    • O0080
    • ST50214504
    • EN300-20093
    • E78838
    • Dimethyl oxalate, Vetec(TM) reagent grade, 98%
    • A830619
    • F094727
    • Q412931
    • F0001-1452
    • InChI=1/C4H6O4/c1-7-3(5)4(6)8-2/h1-2H
    • 553-90-2

  • Applications

    Dimethyl oxalate (CAS number: 553-90-2) is primarily used as an organic intermediate in polymer and resin chemistry, commonly employed as a diester monomer/precursor for polyesters and related poly(oxalate) materials formed via transesterification with diols. It also serves as a reactive ester in coatings, inks, and adhesive formulations, enabling crosslinking and chain extension to improve hardness and solvent resistance. In industrial manufacturing, it is used as a building block to synthesize specialty esters and intermediate compounds for further chemical production. It may be evaluated as a precursor for pharmaceutical intermediates under controlled conditions, and its use is subject to local regulations and formulation limits.

    gpt-5-nano

  • Solubility @25˚C

    Solvent Solubility (g/L)
    ethanol 51.72
    methanol 89.64
    isopropanol 31.04
    water 20.29
    ethyl acetate 65.93
    n-propanol 34.24
    acetone 105.35
    n-butanol 25.62
    acetonitrile 91.04
    DMF 281.43
    toluene 9.8
    isobutanol 21.65
    1,4-dioxane 131.4
    methyl acetate 97.31
    THF 82.0
    2-butanone 65.67
    n-pentanol 22.38
    sec-butanol 29.88
    n-hexane 4.0
    ethylene glycol 68.38
    NMP 279.68
    cyclohexane 8.19
    DMSO 409.33
    n-butyl acetate 32.92
    n-octanol 23.64
    chloroform 163.61
    n-propyl acetate 30.7
    acetic acid 183.28
    dichloromethane 207.87
    cyclohexanone 85.38
    propylene glycol 36.65
    isopropyl acetate 29.6
    DMAc 210.85
    2-ethoxyethanol 99.48
    isopentanol 19.28
    n-heptane 5.13
    ethyl formate 87.34
    1,2-dichloroethane 137.67
    n-hexanol 22.47
    2-methoxyethanol 170.89
    isobutyl acetate 11.03
    tetrachloromethane 36.53
    n-pentyl acetate 32.91
    transcutol 125.8
    n-heptanol 21.3
    ethylbenzene 10.07
    MIBK 22.53
    2-propoxyethanol 66.77
    tert-butanol 39.06
    MTBE 29.9
    2-butoxyethanol 52.58
    propionic acid 90.56
    o-xylene 15.81
    formic acid 216.15
    diethyl ether 37.57
    m-xylene 9.55
    p-xylene 14.8
    chlorobenzene 35.38
    dimethyl carbonate 55.54
    n-octane 3.66
    formamide 349.2
    cyclopentanone 99.99
    2-pentanone 42.09
    anisole 29.34
    cyclopentyl methyl ether 35.34
    gamma-butyrolactone 178.59
    1-methoxy-2-propanol 87.39
    pyridine 96.11
    3-pentanone 44.68
    furfural 238.38
    n-dodecane 2.96
    diethylene glycol 96.45
    diisopropyl ether 10.39
    tert-amyl alcohol 38.42
    acetylacetone 77.65
    n-hexadecane 3.38
    acetophenone 47.47
    methyl propionate 75.18
    isopentyl acetate 25.65
    trichloroethylene 251.24
    n-nonanol 21.17
    cyclohexanol 31.48
    benzyl alcohol 39.75
    2-ethylhexanol 17.34
    isooctanol 16.89
    dipropyl ether 17.2
    1,2-dichlorobenzene 56.04
    ethyl lactate 37.39
    propylene carbonate 87.04
    n-methylformamide 199.72
    2-pentanol 19.02
    n-pentane 4.32
    1-propoxy-2-propanol 43.81
    1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate 43.19
    2-(2-methoxypropoxy) propanol 48.48
    mesitylene 9.07
    ε-caprolactone 91.85
    p-cymene 12.83
    epichlorohydrin 167.23
    1,1,1-trichloroethane 73.15
    2-aminoethanol 63.4
    morpholine-4-carbaldehyde 233.4
    sulfolane 336.61
    2,2,4-trimethylpentane 3.34
    2-methyltetrahydrofuran 65.26
    n-hexyl acetate 41.42
    isooctane 1.85
    2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol 59.19
    sec-butyl acetate 15.48
    tert-butyl acetate 31.91
    decalin 4.57
    glycerin 102.28
    diglyme 139.73
    acrylic acid 128.53
    isopropyl myristate 15.47
    n-butyric acid 69.53
    acetyl acetate 50.17
    di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 19.19
    ethyl propionate 31.47
    nitromethane 408.45
    1,2-diethoxyethane 43.19
    benzonitrile 50.31
    trioctyl phosphate 17.05
    1-bromopropane 37.18
    gamma-valerolactone 183.84
    n-decanol 16.48
    triethyl phosphate 28.0
    4-methyl-2-pentanol 10.91
    propionitrile 45.27
    vinylene carbonate 104.87
    1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane 260.25
    DMS 57.75
    cumene 8.99
    2-octanol 17.5
    2-hexanone 26.21
    octyl acetate 21.87
    limonene 16.64
    1,2-dimethoxyethane 144.77
    ethyl orthosilicate 23.62
    tributyl phosphate 19.84
    diacetone alcohol 56.28
    N,N-dimethylaniline 30.7
    acrylonitrile 95.8
    aniline 32.07
    1,3-propanediol 70.99
    bromobenzene 30.9
    dibromomethane 115.39
    1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 217.54
    2-methyl-cyclohexyl acetate 23.93
    tetrabutyl urea 29.39
    diisobutyl methanol 12.65
    2-phenylethanol 33.96
    styrene 12.83
    dioctyl adipate 24.5
    dimethyl sulfate 152.84
    ethyl butyrate 26.21
    methyl lactate 69.44
    butyl lactate 35.08
    diethyl carbonate 23.65
    propanediol butyl ether 51.97
    triethyl orthoformate 24.85
    p-tert-butyltoluene 13.73
    methyl 4-tert-butylbenzoate 55.6
    morpholine 128.93
    tert-butylamine 21.3
    n-dodecanol 12.73
    dimethoxymethane 108.4
    ethylene carbonate 74.41
    cyrene 63.05
    2-ethoxyethyl acetate 51.9
    2-ethylhexyl acetate 21.52
    1,2,4-trichlorobenzene 78.42
    4-methylpyridine 64.38
    dibutyl ether 18.94
    2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol 12.65
    DEF 106.63
    dimethyl isosorbide 79.64
    tetrachloroethylene 193.39
    eugenol 54.98
    triacetin 55.46
    span 80 39.55
    1,4-butanediol 40.4
    1,1-dichloroethane 70.45
    2-methyl-1-pentanol 18.55
    methyl formate 187.62
    2-methyl-1-butanol 20.9
    n-decane 4.74
    butyronitrile 36.31
    3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol 18.29
    1-chlorooctane 16.09
    1-chlorotetradecane 7.04
    n-nonane 4.75
    undecane 3.67
    tert-butylcyclohexane 3.63
    cyclooctane 3.7
    cyclopentanol 41.87
    tetrahydropyran 49.3
    tert-amyl methyl ether 29.38
    2,5,8-trioxanonane 88.28
    1-hexene 9.15
    2-isopropoxyethanol 49.1
    2,2,2-trifluoroethanol 144.67
    methyl butyrate 48.57

    Scent© AI

1 4

IFRA standard 51

Recommendation
No restriction
Maximum acceptable concentrations in the finished product (%)
Category 1
Products applied to the lips
 No restriction Category 7A
Rinse-off products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 2
Products applied to the axillae
 No restriction Category 7B
Leave-on products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 3
Products applied to the face/body using fingertips
 No restriction Category 8
Products with significant anogenital exposure
 No restriction
Category 4
Products related to fine fragrance
 No restriction Category 9
Products with body and hand exposure, primarily rinse off
 No restriction
Category 5A
Body lotion products applied to the body using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10A
Household care products with mostly hand contact
 No restriction
Category 5B
Face moisturizer products applied to the face using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10B
Household care products with mostly hand contact, including aerosol/spray products (with potential leave-on skin contact)
 No restriction
Category 5C
Hand cream products applied to the hands using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 11A
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate without UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 5D
Baby Creams, baby Oils and baby talc
 No restriction Category 11B
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate with potential UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 6
Products with oral and lip exposure
 No restriction Category 12
Products not intended for direct skin contact, minimal or insignificant transfer to skin
 No restriction