To a stirred, ice bath cooled solution of 5.0 g (0.0115 mol) of 3,5-bis(decyloxy)benzoic acid in 100 ml of anhydrous toluene was added dropwise 3.0 ml (0.0138 mol) of diphenylphosphoryl azide followed by dropwise solution of 1.9 ml (0.0138 mol) of triethylamine. The reaction mixture was stirred in the ice bath for 75 minutes and then was heated at 90° for 2 hours. Benzyl alcohol (100 ml) was added and the solution was stirred and heated at 90° for 3.5 hours. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure and most of the excess benzyl alcohol was removed at 80°/0.1 mm. Sodium bicarbonate solution (100 ml) was added to the residue and the product was extracted with ethyl acetate. The dried extract was concentrated at reduced pressure to an oil which was purified by HPLC using 25% hexane-ethyl acetate to give 4.87 g (79% yield) of 3,5-bis(decyloxy)phenylcarbamic acid phenylmethyl ester as an oil.
