Ethanol → 4-[15-(Trifluoromethyl)pentadecylamino]cinnamic acid

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Reaction Steps

A mixture of ethyl 4-aminocinnamate, one equivalent of 15-(trifluoromethyl)pentadecyl bromide and one equivalent of anhydrous potassium carbonate in hexamethylphosporamide is heated for 20 hours at 60° C. The mixture is then cooled, diluted with water and extracted with ether. The combined ether extracts are dried, filtered and evaporated to provide ethyl 4-[15-(trifluoromethyl)pentadecylamino]cinnamate. The ester is hydrolyzed with sodium hydroxide in a 1:9 water:ethanol solution at steam bath temperatures for 10 hours. The hot solution is then acidified with acetic acid, cooled and filtered and the solid is washed with water. Recrystallization from chloroform yields the product as a white solid.

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