Methanol → Benzoic acid, 3-fluoro-, methyl ester

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a 1-liter flask fitted with a stirrer, addition funnel, condenser, and drying tube containing diethyl ether (200 ml) and methanol (anhd.; 64 g,; 2.0 moles] is added dropwise m-fluorobenzoyl chloride (317 g,; 2.0 moles) at room temperature over a 3 hour period. Additional methanol (10 ml) is added and the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature overnight. The reaction mixture is then filtered through a bed of silicic acid and the solvent removed under vacuum to afford 285 grams of methyl 3-fluorobenzoate (92.5% yield). This was identical to the product prepared in Example 2A.

Provenance & Evidence