Formation of Cyclic Oligomers in Concentrated Aqueous Solutions of Formaldehyde

An MNDO calculation gave the formation enthalpies of the components of equilibrium mixtures in concentrated aqueous acid solutions of formaldehyde. The results of this study suggest that intramolecular cyclization of linear oligomers with 5 and 9 CH₂O units, respectively, is the most plausible mechanism of formation of cyclic oligomers of formaldehyde — trioxane and tetraoxane. Ring protonation by the hydroxonium ion with ring opening is the most energetically favorable route of cyclic acetal decomposition.