Chlorine → 4-Methoxy-3-(6-methoxy-3-pyridylmethyl)phenylthiocyanate

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Reaction Steps

To dry acetic acid (250 ml, dried by refluxing with 5% acetic anhydride for 4.5 hours) was added dry chlorine (16.00 g). Lead thiocyanate (36.48 g) was added in portions with rapid stirring then after 40 minutes 2-(6-methoxy-3-pyridylmethyl)-anisole (45.85 g) in dry acetic acid (175 ml) was added slowly from a dropping funnel. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 20 hours, filtered, poured into water (approximately 2 litres) and extracted with chloroform. The combined chloroform extracts were washed with water, 2N sodium hydroxide, water, then dried with anhydrous magnesium sulphate and evaporated to dryness to give an orange gum which was crystallised from chloroform/petroleum spirit (60°-80°) to give 4-methoxy-3-(6-methoxy-3-pyridylmethyl)phenylthiocyanate as a yellow solid (39.89 g, 55%), m.p. 56°-58°.

Provenance & Evidence