Recrystallise it from CHCl3/*C6H6/pet ether (b 60-80o) or by dissolving it in CHCl3 and pouring it into dry Et2O. max nm() 255(3,600), 262(3,700), 268(4,000) and 275(3,100). The iodide salt crystallises from H2O and has m 207-209o. [Ramirez & Dershowitz J Org Chem 22 41 1957.] Itisan IRRITANT and is hygroscopic. When shaken with a 10% aqueous solution of Na2CO3 (8hours) it gives acetylmethylene triphenyl phosphorane which is recrystallised from MeOH/H2O and after drying at 70o/0.1mm has m 205-206o. UV: nm() 268 (6600), 275 (6500) and 288 (5700), IR: max 1529 (s), 1470 (m), 1425 (s), max 1374 (m), 1105 and 978 (s) (cm-1). [Ramirez & Dershowitz J Org Chem 22 41, 44 1957, Beilstein 16 H 761, 16 II 373.]