Sulfuric Acid → (5-Bromo-4-fluoro-2-methyl-phenyl)-acetic acid methyl ester

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

To a solution of 1-bromo-2-fluoro-4-methyl-5-(2,2,2-trichloro-ethyl)-benzene (29.2 g) in methanol (100 ml) is added a sodium methoxide solution (30% in methanol, 78.2 ml) dropwise. The reaction mixture is stirred at reflux for 24 hours, cooled to 5° C. and treated with concentrated sulfuric acid (13.2 ml) dropwise. After further warming to reflux for 21 hours, the mixture is concentrated and the residue diluted with water/ethyl acetate. The aqueous layer is extracted with ethyl acetate, the combined organic layers are washed with brine, dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated. The residue is purified by chromatography on silica gel (ethyl acetate/cyclohexane 1:3). Yield: 18.76 g of (5-bromo-4-fluoro-2-methyl-phenyl)-acetic acid methyl ester as an oil.

Provenance & Evidence