Methyloxiranone or α-propiolactone is a chemical compound of the lactone family, with a three-membered ring. It is a stable product which can be obtained from the 2-bromopropionate anion.Leach, Mark R. "(2R)-2-Methyl alpha-lactone", at The Chemical Thesaurus. Meta Synthesis. Accessed on 2009-10-07. It is an intermediate in the decomposition of 2-chloropropionic acid in the gas phase.Vicent S. Safont, Vicente Moliner, Juan Andrés, Luís R. Domingo (1997), Theoretical Study of the Elimination Kinetics of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives in the Gas Phase. Decomposition of 2-Chloropropionic Acid. J. Physical Chemistry series A, volume 101, issue 10, pp. 1859–1865.
See also β-Propiolactone Acetolactone
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