Ethyl 2-methylacetoacetate → HCID 178431789, compound

Participants

Reaction Steps

2-methylacetoacetamide 2, made from ethyl 2-methylacetoacetate 1 by reaction with ammonium hydroxide for six days (at about 60% yield), is reacted with ethyl cyanoacetate 4 over four days to produce 2,6-dihydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-3-pyridinecarbonitrile, ammonium salt 5 (90% yield). The ammonium salt is hydrolyzed with hydrobromic acid and decarboxylated. The excess hydrobromic acid is evaporated to dryness followed by filtration of ammonium bromide after taking up the 2,6-dihydroxy-3,4-dimethylpyridine hydrobromide salt 6 in absolute ethyl alcohol. The ethyl alcohol is evaporated to dryness and the residue is heated with water and potassium hydroxide to isolate 2,6-dihydroxy-3,4-dimethylpyridine (70% yield).

Provenance & Evidence