Hydrochloric Acid → 3-(Naphth-2-yl)acrylic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

Combine ethyl trans-3-(naphth-2-yl)-propenoate (4.24 g, 18.8 mmol) and tetrahydrofuran (75 mL). Add lithium hydroxide hydrate (2.36 g, 56.3 mmol) in water (19 mL). After 18 hours, acidified to a pH of about 2 with aqueous 12 M hydrochloric acid solution to give a precipitate. Extract with ethyl acetate (3×150 mL). Dry the combined extracts over MgSO4, filter, and concentrated in vacuo to give trans-3-(naphth-2-yl)-propenoic acid as a white solid (3.66 g, 98% yield). NMR (CDCl3) δ 7.97 (d, 1H, J=15.7 Hz); 7.90 (d, 1H, J=15.3 Hz); 7.90-7.83 (c, 3H); 7.70 (dd, 1H, J=1.6, 8.6 Hz); 7.57-7.50 (c, 2H); 6.58 (d, 1H, J=16.0 Hz).

Provenance & Evidence