Iodine → (2-Ethyl-4-sulfanylphenoxy)acetic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a refluxing solution of PH3 (4.3 g, 126.5 mmol) and I2 (0.7 g, 2.6 mmol) in glacial acetic acid (30 ml) was added slowly a solution of (4-chlorosulfonyl-2-ethyl-phenoxy)-acetic acid ethyl ester (15 g, 48.9 mmol) in glacial acetic acid (20 ml). The reaction mixture was refluxed for 24 h. Water (10 ml) was added carefully and the mixture was refluxed for further 1 h after cooling, the reaction mixture was filtered and the filtrate diluted with water (100 ml). The mixture was extracted with dichloromethane (3×100 ml), and the organic phases were washed with water. After drying the dichloromethane phase was evaporated to give crude (2-ethyl-4-mercapto-phenoxy)-acetic acid in 10 g (96%) yield.

Provenance & Evidence