Acetic Acid → Methyl 2-(3-bromophenyl)-2-methylpropanoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

2-Methyl-2-[3-bromophenyl]propionitrile (0.56 g, 2.5 mmol) was refluxed in sulfuric acid (2 ml), water (3 ml) and acetic acid (2.5 ml) overnight. The reaction mixture was poured in water, then extracted with Et2O. The combined organic extracts were dried with magnesium sulfate, filtered, concentrated, and chromatographed (silica gel, 10% EtOAc, 1% HOAc) to give the title compound as a white solid (0.2 g, 36%), which was converted to the methyl ester with diazo methane in Et2O and was used in the next reaction without further purification.

Provenance & Evidence