Hydrochloric Acid → 1-Phenylethanol, (S)-

Participants

Reaction Steps

The catalyst solution was added to a degassed 0.1M solution of KOH in 2-propanol, followed by a solution of acetophenone in 2-propanol. The mixture was stirred at ambient temperature under nitrogen for 2 h, then worked up by neutralising with dilute hydrochloric acid and concentrating by vacuum distillation. The residue was diluted with ethyl acetate and washed with an equal volume of saturated aqueous sodium chloride. The organic layer was separated, dried over magnesium sulphate, separated from the solid and freed of solvent to give crude (S)-1-phenylethanol (1.76 g). Yield 84%, ee 89%. The turnover number, integrated over 1 h, was 324 h−1.

Provenance & Evidence