Tert-Butyl nitrite → 5-Ethoxy-5-oxo-4-(phenylmethoxycarbonylamino)pentanoic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

A suspension of the amide (2) (38 g, 0.1233 mol) in anhydrous acetonitrile (400 ml) was stirred at reflux under nitrogen and t-butyl nitrite (35 ml, 3.17 equiv.) was added quickly. The reflux was continued for 2 hrs. After cooling, the solvent was removed in a rotary evaporator. The residue was taken in water (250 ml) and ethyl acetate (500 ml) and the biphasic mixture was stirred well while solid sodium bicarbonate was slowly added to pH=7.5. Phases were separated and the organic phase was washed with 10% sodium bicarbonate (200 ml). The combined aqueous extracts were washed with ethyl acetate (300 ml), made acidic with 6N hydrochloric acid and extracted with ethyl acetate (2×300 ml). The combined extracts were washed with water (150 ml), dried over sodium sulfate, stripped and the residue was dried in a vacuum oven (50° C.) to produce (3) (24.6 g, 64.7%).

Provenance & Evidence