Diethyl Oxalate → Ethyl (3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)(oxo)acetate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

To a solution of 5.28 g (20 mmol) of 1-iodo-3,5-dimethoxybenzene (W. Riedhl, F. Imhof, Justus Liebigs Ann. Chem., 1955;597:153–157) in 100 mL of THF at −78° C. is added 12.3 mL (21 mmol) of 1.7 M tert-BuLi in pentane, and after a further 5 minutes 4.4 g (30 mmol) of diethyl oxalate is added. After being allowed to warm to −20° C., the mixture is quenched with aqueous NH4Cl, and the THF is removed under vacuum. Work-up in EtOAc, followed by chromatography on silica, eluting with hexane/EtOAc (9:1) gives 3.38 g (71%) of the title compound as an oil.

Provenance & Evidence