Acetyl chloride → 1-Methyl 2-carboxybenzenepropanoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

2-carboxybenzenepropanoic acid (9.7 g., 0.05 mole), acetic anhydride (15.5 g., 0.15 mole) and acetyl chloride (0.5 g) in dichloromethane (200 ml) was boiled at reflux under nitrogen for 16 hr. The solvents were removed at high vacuum and the residual cyclic anhydride was heated at reflux with methanol (250 ml) for 2 hrs. Evaporation of solvent gave the sub-title compound as an oil which crystallised with petroleum ether (b.p. 60°-80°) to a solid (6.3 g) mp 76°-79°. This was further purified by continuous extraction of the crude product with boiling petroleum (b.p. 40°-60°) in a Soxhlet apparatus. The pure compound, mp 79°-81° separated from the extracts on cooling.

Provenance & Evidence