Sodium Hydroxide → (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid

Reaction equation

[OH:1][C@H:2]([CH2:8][CH2:9][CH2:10][CH2:11][CH2:12][CH2:13][CH2:14][CH2:15][CH2:16][CH2:17][CH3:18])[CH2:3][C:4]([O:6]C)=[O:5].O1CCOCC1.[OH-].[Na+]>CO>[OH:1][C@H:2]([CH2:8][CH2:9][CH2:10][CH2:11][CH2:12][CH2:13][CH2:14][CH2:15][CH2:16][CH2:17][CH3:18])[CH2:3][C:4]([OH:6])=[O:5]

Participants

Procedure

Under nitrogen and while stirring there were added dropwise to a solution of 129.2 g of methyl (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoate, 1033 ml of dioxan and 122.9 g of 28 percent sodium hydroxide solution. 77.5 ml of methanol were added dropwise to the solution. After stirring for a further 1.5 hours the resulting suspension was filtered and the filter cake was washed with 1000 ml of dioxan and filtered off. The filter cake was adjusted to pH 0 by the addition of 650 ml of 1.5N hydrochloric acid. The suspension was stirred, filtered, the filter cake was washed with 3000 ml of water and the crystals were dried. 119.64 g (98%) of (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid, m.p. 70.6°-71.4°, were obtained.