Tetraethyl Orthocarbonate is used in the synthesis of chemokine receptor-5 inhibitors against HIV-1, benzobisoxazoles and in the preparation of organic semiconductors. It is also employed in the synthesis of 2,7-dimethylene-1,4,6,9-tetraoxaspiro[4,4]nonane and in the synthesis of cross linked poly(orthocarbonate)s used as organic solvent absorbent.
Likely impurities are hydrolysis products. Shake the orthocarbonate with brine (saturated NaCl, dilute with a little Et2O if amount of material is small) and dry (MgSO4). The organic layer is filtered off and evaporated, and the residue is distilled through a helices packed fractionating column with a total reflux partial take-off head. All distillations can be done at atmospheric pressure in an inert atmosphere (e.g. N2). [Roberts & McMahon Org Synth Coll Vol IV 457 1963, Connolly & Dyson J Chem Soc 828 1937, Tieckelmann & Post J Org Chem 13 266 1948, for review see Kantlehner et al. Justus Liebigs Ann Chem 507 207 1982, Beilstein 3 IV 6.]
