Hydrochloric Acid → 1-(3-Bromo-4-methoxyphenyl)acetone

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A solution of 790 mg (2.90 mmol) of 1-(3-bromo-4-methoxyphenyl)-2-nitropropene (from Example 80, Step A) in 5.0 mL of toluene was combined with water (2.0 mL), iron powder (730 mg, 13.45 mmol), and ferric chloride (14.2 mg, 0.088 mmol) in a 25-mL three-neck round bottom flask fitted with a mechanical stirrer and reflux condenser. With vigorous agitation, the suspension was heated at 80° C., and 1.3 mL of conc. HCl was added over a period of 2 h via syringe. After the addition was completed, the heating and stirring were continued for an additional 30 min. After the reaction had cooled to RT, ethyl acetate (50 mL) was added to the solid was removed by filtration. The filtrate was washed with 20 mL of saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate and the layers were separated. The aqueous layer was filtered again and the filtrate was extracted with 2×40 mL of ethyl acetate. The combined ethyl acetate extracts were washed with 50 mL of brine. Drying over sodium sulfate and concentration afforded a red oil which was purified by flash column chromatography, eluting with 30% dichloromethane in hexane followed by dichloromethane, to give 411 mg of the title compound as a yellow syrup.

Provenance & Evidence