Carbon Dioxide → 2-(4-(4-Chlorobutanoyl)phenyl)-2-methylpropanoic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

Fit a jacketed glass cell of about 50 mL capacity with an expanded silver mesh cathode (14 cm2 geometric area), a roughly concentric magnesium sacrificial anode, a tube to deliver carbon dioxide gas and a magnetic stir bar. Add a solution of hydrogen chloride remediated 1-[4-(1-bromo-1-methyl-ethyl)-phenyl]-4-chloro-butan-1-one and 1-[4-(1-chloro-1-methyl-ethyl)-phenyl]-4-chloro-butan-1-one (2.79 g, 89 mole %, 3:1 ratio of tertiary benzylic bromide to tertiary benzylic chloride by NMR, approximately 8.6 mmol total active tertiary benzylic halide) in acetonitrile (45 mL) and tetraethylammonium bromide (0.19 g). Close the cell and cool to −10° C. with a continuous carbon dioxide sparge for 169 minutes at an average current density of 13 mA cm−2. Warm to contents of the cell to ambient temperature, drain the contents, acidify with chilled aqueous 6M hydrochloric acid, extract and evaporate the solvent in vacuo to give the title compound (1.53 g, 66%).

Provenance & Evidence