Hydrochloric Acid → 1-(4-Chlorophenyl)-4,4-difluorobutane-1,3-dione

Participants

Reaction Steps

Ethyl difluoroacetate (24.82 g, 200 mmol) was placed in a 500 mL three-necked round bottom flask, and dissolved in diethyl ester (200 mL). To the stirred solution was added 25% sodium methoxide in methanol (48 mL, 210 mmol) via an addition funnel over a 2 minute period. Next, 4'-chloroacetophenone (25.94 g, 200 mmol) was dissolved in diethyl ether (50 mL), and added to the reaction dropwise over 5 minutes. After stirring overnight (18 hours), 1N HCl: (250 mL) and ether (250 mL) were added. The organic layer was collected, washed with brine (250 mL), dried over MgSO4, filtered, and concentrated in vacuo to give 46.3 g of a yellow solid. The solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride and iso-octane to give 31.96 g (69%) of the dione: mp 65-66.5° C.

Provenance & Evidence