Water → 3-(2-Methylbenzyl)-butanone

HRID 231760

Reaction equation

[OH-].[K+].O.C1OCCOCCOCCOCCOCCOC1.[CH3:22][C:23]1[CH:30]=[CH:29][CH:28]=[CH:27][C:24]=1[CH2:25]Cl.[CH2:31]([C:33]([CH3:35])=[O:34])[CH3:32]>C1(C)C=CC=CC=1>[CH3:22][C:23]1[CH:30]=[CH:29][CH:28]=[CH:27][C:24]=1[CH2:25][CH:31]([CH3:32])[C:33](=[O:34])[CH3:35]

Participants

Conditions

Temperature: 85 °C

Procedure

56 g of KOH, 56 ml of water, 10 g of 18-crown-6 and 5 g of KI were warmed to 75° C. with 200 ml of toluene with exclusion of air. A mixture of 100 g of 2-methylbenzyl chloride and 100 g of methyl ethyl ketone was added dropwise over 30 minutes with vigorous stirring, and the mixture was stirred at 85° C. for 11 hours. The phases were then separated, and the organic layer was washed by shaking with water and distilled through a short packed column. After removing the solvent and the preliminary fraction, 29 g of 3-(2-methylbenzyl)-butanone were obtained at 54°-55° C./0.07 mbar. 25 g of this compound was stirred with 3 g of NaBH4 in 100 ml of ethanol, initially for 2 hours at 25° C., then for a further 2 hours at the reflux temperature. After the reducing agent and solvent had been removed, the reaction product was distilled through a short Vigreux column. 15.5 g of 3-methyl-4-(2-methylphenyl)-butan-2-ol were obtained from 64°-67° C./0.07 mbar.

Workup

additionwas added dropwise over 30 minutes with vigorous stirring
customThe phases were then separated
washthe organic layer was washed
stirringby shaking with water
distillationdistilled through
customAfter removing the solvent

Sources & evidence

ORD record: ord-a685bd66646b401d895a9495129f8911
Source dataset: uspto-grants-1989_07
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.5104873.v1
Patent number: US04849401

Linked notes

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