Ethylidene diacetate is an organic compound with the formula (CH<sub>3</sub>CO<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>CHCH<sub>3</sub>. It is a colorless liquid with a sweet, fruity odor. Ethylidene diacetate once served as a precursor to vinyl acetate, a valued monomer.
A major industrial route involves the reaction of acetaldehyde and acetic anhydride in the presence of a ferric chloride catalyst:
It can be converted to the valuable monomer vinyl acetate by thermal elimination of acetic acid: