Isopropanol → 8-Hydroxy-6-oxo-octanoic acid methyl ester

Participants

Reaction Steps

100 ml of aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution (10-13% active chlorine) were added dropwise at room temperature, over a period of 45 minutes, to 16.6 g (87 mmol) of 6,8-dihydroxyoctanoic acid methyl ester in 200 ml of glacial acetic acid. After stirring for a further 3 hours at room temperature, 180 ml of isopropanol were added in order to destroy excess sodium hypochlorite, and stirring was carried out for 10 minutes. The reaction mixture was then added to 1200 ml of water and extracted several times with methylene chloride. The combined organic phases were washed with cold-saturated sodium hydrogen carbonate solution. After drying over sodium sulfate, the solvent was distilled off using a rotary evaporator. 13.0 g (80%) of 8-hydroxy-6-oxo-octanoic acid methyl ester were obtained.

Provenance & Evidence