Hydrochloric Acid → 4-(4-Chlorophenyl)-2-oxobut-3-enoic acid

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

Sodium pyruvate (24.2 g, 0.22 moL) was added to a cold (0° C.) solution of 1N sodium hydroxide (200 mL) and ethanol (10 mL). p-Chlorobenzaldehyde (28.11 g, 0.20 moL) was then added, maintaining the temperature below 5° C. The reaction mixture was aged six hours at 0°-5° C. and then allowed to warm to 20° C. where it was aged an additional six hours to effect complete reaction. The mixture was cooled to -10° C. and the pH adjusted to 1.0 with cold 6N HCl. The p-chlorobenzalpyruvic acid product was then extracted with 800 mL ethyl acetate in 94% yield.

Provenance & Evidence