Hydroxyphenylacetic acid → (4-Hydroxyphenyl)propanedioic acid

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

About 0.5 mole of 4-hydroxybenzeneacetic acid is dissolved in about 50 ml of anhydrous tetrahydrofuran at -40° C. To this solution is added 3 equivalents of lithium diisopropylamide. The temperature is maintained at about -40° C. for about 15 minutes. Then 1 equivalent of ethyl chloroformate is added and the temperature is raised from about -40° C. to about 20° C. and the reaction mixture stirred for about 60 minutes. The reaction mixture is poured into water and the monoester of α-carboxy-4-hydroxybenzeneacetic acid is recovered from the aqueous solution. Hydrolysis of the half-ester with sodium hydroxide followed by acidification with hydrochloric acid gives α-carboxy-4-hydroxybenzeneacetic acid.

Provenance & Evidence