Hydrogen Bromide → 4-Hydroxyphenylacetone

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 82 g of 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-propanone, 500 ml of acetic acid and 500 ml of aqueous hydrobromic acid is boiled under reflux for 2 hours and then evaporated in vacuo. The oily residue is extracted four times with 700 ml of hexane/ether (5:2) each time, the extract is evaporated and the residue is chromatographed over silica gel using hexane/ethyl acetate (3:1). 1-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-propanone is thus obtained with a melting point of 40-41°.

Provenance & Evidence