Phenol → 2-(2-Allyloxy4-nitrophenoxymethyl)-oxirane

Participants

Reaction Steps

20 g (0.50 mole) of 60% NaH/mineral oil was placed in a two liter flask and washed with 500 mL of hexane. 1 L of N,N-dimethylformamide was added, followed by 77 g (0.40 mole) of the 2-allyloxy-4-nitrophenol prepared in the previous step. Addition of the phenol was performed in portions under argon. After stirring the mixture for 30 minutes at room temperature under argon, 108 g (0.48 moles) of (R)-glycidyl tosylate was added and the mixture heated at 70-75° C. under nitrogen overnight. Upon cooling, the solvent was removed in vacuum and replaced with one liter of methylene chloride. This was washed with 500 mL portions of 2 N HCl (aq), saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate and saturated brine and dried over sodium sulfate. The mixture was filtered, concentrated to an oil in vacuum and column chromatographed on silica gel using 1:1 hexane/methylene chloride as eluant. This gave 43 g of product contaminated with traces of the two starting materials, followed by 21 g of pure product as a pale yellow solid. The impure material was recrystallized from 1.2 L of 10% ethyl acetate/hexane to give 34 g of pure (homogeneous on silica gel tic with 1:1 hexane/methylene chloride) (R)-2-(2-allyloxy-4-nitrophenoxymethyl)-oxirane (m.p. 64° C.).

Provenance & Evidence