Hydrochloric Acid → 1-Phenylethanol, (S)-

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

To the catalyst solution was added a degassed 0.1M solution of KOH in 2-propanol, followed by a solution of acetophenone in 2-propanol. The mixture was warmed to 60° C. and stirred at ambient temperature under nitrogen for 1 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 (0.9 g). Yield 43%, ee 80%. The turnover number, integrated over 1 h, was 410 h−1.

Provenance & Evidence