4-Hydroxybenzyl Alcohol → 4-Acetoxybenzyl alcohol

To a solution of 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (7.5 g, 60 mmol) and 8.4 mL of triethylamine (8.4 mL, 60 mmol) in 100 mL of ethyl acetate, cooled in an ice bath, was added, via canula over 15 min, a solution of acetyl chloride (4.7 mL, 66 mmol) in 50 mL of ethyl acetate. The mixture was stirred in the same bath, which was left to come to room temperature on its own. After 18 h, the precipitate was removed by filtration. It was rinsed with 50 mL of ethyl acetate in small portions. The combined filtrates were concentrated in vacuo and purified by flash chromatography on silica gel, using 3:2 hexanes:ethyl acetate as the eluent, to afford 60 (2.853 g, 17 mmol, 29%) as an oil. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 2.31 (s, 3H), 4.69 (d, J=5.8 Hz, 2H), 7.08 (d, J=8.6 Hz, 2H), 7.38 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 2H).