Diethyl 2-(2-(benzyloxy)ethyl)malonate → 2-[2-(Benzyloxy)ethyl]propane-1,3-diol

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a cooled, stirred suspension of lithium aluminium hydride (103 g, 2.7 mol) in dry ether (2.51) under nitrogen was added ethyl 4-benzyloxy-2-ethoxycarbonyl-butanoate (362 g, 1.23 mol) over a period of 3 hours. On completion of the addition, the reaction mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature, and then heated under reflux for 1 hour. It was then re-cooled and the excess lithium aluminium hydride destroyed by dropwise addition of water (100 ml), 2M sodium hydroxide (100 ml) and water (300 ml). The reaction mixture was filtered, and the filter cake washed well with chloroform. The filtrate was dried (MgSO4), filtered, and evaporated to give 4-benzyloxy-2-hydroxymethylbutan-1-ol as a clear oil (226 g, 87%). δH (CDCl3) 1.35-2.05 (3H, m, CHCH2CH2), 3.30-3.80 (8H, m, 3×CH2O, 2×OH), 4.42 (2H, s, OCH2Ph), 7.26 (5H, s, Ar).

Provenance & Evidence