Butanal → 2-(1-Hydroxybutyl)-2-methyl-1,3-dithian

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

56 mmol of n-butyllithium (35 ml of a 1.6 M solution in hexane) were added with stirring to a solution of 2-methyl-1,3-dithian (7 g, 52.1 mmol) in 100 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran at −30° C. under argon. After stirring at −30° C. for 2 hours, the mixture was cooled to −78° C. 4.2 g (58.3 mmol) of freshly distilled n-butyraldehyde were added dropwise in the course of 15 minutes and the mixture was stirred for a further 30 minutes. After warming to 20° C., it was poured into a beaker containing 300 ml of water and 100 ml of n-hexane. The organic phase was separated off and the aqueous phase was extracted three times with 50 ml of dichloromethane in each case. The combined organic phases were washed with 10% strength by weight potassium hydroxide solution, water and concentrated sodium chloride solution, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and then distilled. 8.82 g of 2-(1-hydroxybutyl)-2-methyl-1,3-dithian were isolated as a colorless oil.

Provenance & Evidence