Methanol → Methyl 3-[5-(4-methylphenyl)-4-isoxazolyl]propionate

Reaction equation

[CH3:1][C:2]1[CH:7]=[CH:6][C:5]([C:8]2[O:12][N:11]=[CH:10][C:9]=2[CH2:13][CH2:14][C:15]([OH:17])=[O:16])=[CH:4][CH:3]=1.S(=O)(=O)(O)O.[CH3:23]O>>[CH3:1][C:2]1[CH:3]=[CH:4][C:5]([C:8]2[O:12][N:11]=[CH:10][C:9]=2[CH2:13][CH2:14][C:15]([O:17][CH3:23])=[O:16])=[CH:6][CH:7]=1

Participants

Reactant 3

HCID 887Methanol

HCID 1118Sulfuric Acid

HCID 222210993-[5-(4-Methylphenyl)-4-isoxazolyl]propionic acid

Product 1

HCID 22221162Methyl 3-[5-(4-methylphenyl)-4-isoxazolyl]propionateYield 79%

Procedure

A mixture of 3-[5-(4-methylphenyl)-4-isoxazolyl]propionic acid (4.00 g), conc. sulfuric acid (2 ml) and methanol (80 ml) was refluxed for 1 hr. The reaction mixture was concentrated, water was added to the residue and the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate layer was washed with saturated brine, dried (MgSO4) and concentrated. The residue was subjected to silica gel column chromatography, and methyl 3-[5-(4-methylphenyl)-4-isoxazolyl]propionate (3.35 g, yield 79%) was obtained as a colorless oil from a fraction eluted with ethyl acetate-hexane (1:7, volume ratio). NMR (CDCl3) δ: 2.41 (3H, s), 2.63 (2H, t, J=7.5 Hz), 2.99 (2H, t, J=7.5 Hz), 3.68 (3H, s), 7.30 (2H, d, J=8 Hz), 7.59 (2H, d, J=8 Hz), 8.20 (1H, s).