It is chiral, although typically it is encountered as the racemic mixture.

[5][6] This process requires a ten- to twenty-fold excess of water to suppress the formation of polyethers.

Depending on the amount of excess water, the selectivity varies from 70 to 92%.

[7] Sulfuric acid or strongly acidic ion exchange resins may be used as catalysts, which allows the reaction to occur under 160 °C and at slightly above atmospheric pressure.

It has been patented for the production of polyester resins and plasticizers.