Early work on aliphatic ortho esters, while outlining their preparation and properties, has mentioned as well their instability. Triethyl orthoformate for example is not as stable as are the orthoformates of the higher aliphatic alcohols, but no further suggestions have been advanced on this point to date. Compounds of this type have been prepared from the corresponding alcoholate2 and from the alcohol and hydrogen~ yanide.~ It was our ...
