What is diethyl oxalate and what are its uses?
Diethyl oxalate (C6H10O4) is also known as diethyl oxalate, ethanedioic acid and diethyl ethanedioate. It is a white solid compound synthesised from carbon monoxide and ethanol. It is slightly denser than water and insoluble in water. Diethyl oxalate is available in powder and liquid forms. It is a colourless toxic compound with a characteristic odour. It has important applications in various end-user industries such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture and cosmetics. The compound is mainly used as a raw material or intermediate in the manufacture of phenobarbital and a variety of dyes; it is also used as a solvent in natural and synthetic resins as well as in nitrocellulose lacquers and various chemical synthesis processes. Further, it is used as a chemical intermediate in the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Diethyl oxalate is also used as a cost-effective additive in dye-sensitised solar cells. Diethyl oxalate is used in the production of agrochemicals su...