To a 1 L RB flask formaldehyde 37% v/v (270.9 mL, 3.64 mol) and Formic acid (320 mL, 8.15 mol) was added. The reaction mixture was placed in an ice bath and Tris(2-Aminoethyl)amine (50 mL, 0.33 mol) was added dropwise over the course of at least 1h, with vigorous stirring. The reaction mixture was then refluxed at 120°C for 12 h (until the evolution of carbon dioxide had stopped).  After leaving to cool, the volatiles were removed by rotary evaporation to give an orange-yellow solution. The reaction mixture was placed in an ice bath and the pH was adjusted to pH 10 with a saturated NaOH solution. The resulting oil was then extracted using 3x 150 mL of Chloroform. The combined organic layers were dried over MgSO₄ and the volatiles were removed by rotary evaporation to yield an orange-yellow oil. The oil was then distilled under reduced pressure (75-79°C, 10^-3 mbar) to yield a colourless oil (48.01 g, 62 % yield).