Acetic Anhydride → Erythromycin 2'-acetate

Participants

Reaction Steps

Acetic anhydride (3.5 ml, 1.2 eq.) was added at ambient temperature to a solution of erythromycin A (23 g, commercially available from Abbott Laboratories) dissolved in 350 mL of methylene chloride. The reaction mixture was stirred for 12 hours at room temperature. The methylene chloride solution was washed twice with 100 mL of 1% sodium bicarbonate solution, once with 100 mL of water, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and filtered. Solvent was removed in vacuo to afford a white solid which was recrystallized from acetonitrile to the product in 71% yield.

Provenance & Evidence