Acetonitrile → Ethyl (4-formyl-2-methylphenoxy)acetate

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a solution of 4-hydroxy-3-methylbenzaldehyde (8 g, 58.8 mmol) in an hydrous acetonitrile (300 mL), under nitrogen at 0° C., was added caesium carbonate (21 g, 64.6 mmol) and ethyl bromoacetate (6.52 mL, 58.8 mmol). The resulting mixture was allowed to come to room temperature and stirred for 16 h. The reaction mixture was diluted with water (400 mL) and extracted with EtOAc (2×500 mL). The combined organic extracts were dried (MgSO4) and the solvents removed in vacuo, to afford the title compound as brown solid (11.5 g).

Provenance & Evidence