Citric Acid → Methyl 2-(4-chloro-phenyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methyl-propionate

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Reaction Steps

35 ml of a 1.6 molar solution of n-butyllithium in hexane 10 (61 mmol) are added dropwise to a solution of 8.1 ml of diisopropylamine (85 mmol)l in 20 ml tetrahydrofuran at −78° C. Then a solution of 10.0 g (50 mmol) of methyl 2-(4-chloro-phenyl)-propionate in 30 ml tetrahydrofuran is added dropwise at −78° C. Formaldehyde gas is then piped into the reaction mixture at −20° C. for 30 minutes. After the addition of 5% citric acid and glacial acetic acid the mixture is extracted with ethyl acetate. The organic phases are washed with 1N sulphuric acid, water, saturated sodium bicarbonate solution and saline solution and dried over magnesium sulphate. The crude product is purified on silica gel, eluting with cyclohexane/ethyl acetate (19:1; 9:1;

Provenance & Evidence