acetyl Methanesulfonate

The Uses of acetyl Methanesulfonate

Acetyl Methanesulfonate, is an impurity of Busulfan (B689900), an alkylating agent with antileukemic activity. Antineoplastic.

Purification Methods

The main impurity is methanesulfonic acid. Reflux it with redistilled acetyl chloride for 6-10hours, i.e. until no further HCl is absorbed in a trap, and exclude moisture. Distil off excess of AcCl and carefully distil it below 0.001mm with the bath temperature below 120o to give the anhydride as a pale yellow oil which solidifies below 0o. Below ~130o it gives the disulfonic anhydride, and above ~130o polymers are formed, and it is used for cleaving ethers [Preparation, IR, NMR: Karger & Mazur J Org Chem 36 528, 532 1971]. [Beilstein 2 H 166, 2 III 349.]