Formaldehyde → (4-Fluoro-2-methylphenyl)methanol

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a stirred and refluxing Grignard-complex, previously prepared starting from 39.7 parts of 1-bromo-4-fluoro-2-methylbenzene and 5.1 parts of magnesium in 225 parts of tetrahydrofuran, are added portionwise 8.4 parts of paraformaldehyde. Upon completion, stirring is continued for 1 hour at reflux. The reaction mixture is cooled and poured onto a mixture of crushed ice and acetic acid. The product is extracted with trichloromethane. The extract is dried, filtered and evaporated. The residue is distilled, yielding 14 parts (47.6%) of 4-fluoro-2-methylbenzenemethanol; bp. 110° C. (water-jet).

Provenance & Evidence