The Photochemical Reactions of Ethylene Glycol and Its Ethers in the Presence of Ferric Chloride

Abstract The photochemical reactions of ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether and ethylene glycol dimethyl ether with ferric chloride have been carried out under a nitrogen atmosphere and with irradiation by ultraviolet light. These reactions have involved the cleavage of the carbon-carbon bond to give formaldehyde and chloromethyl methyl ether; of the carbon (–CH2–)-oxygen bond to give acetaldehyde, methanol and water, or of the carbon (CH3–) -oxygen and hydrogen-oxygen bonds to give methane, ethane, hydrogen chloride and methyl chloride. Furthermore, they have been accompanied by the photo-reduction of ferric chloride to ferrous chloride. From these results, it has been assumed that ferric chloride acts as an oxidizing reagent and Lewis acid in the photochemical reactions.