Methanol → Methyl phenylacetate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

6 g of cobalt octacarbonyl was added to 100 ml of methanol. Then CO was passed through with stirring (500 rpm) at 35° C for 30 minutes with an excess pressure of 600 mm Hg. Then the mixture was heated to 55° C and, with a steady feed-through of CO, 190 g (1.5 mole) of benzyl chloride and 329 g of 25.8 wt-% sodium methylate were fed in over a period of 3 hours at a stirring speed of 500 to 750 rpm. Carbon monoxide delivery continued for about 21/2 more hours until no further absorption took place. Then water was mixed with the reaction mixture and it was extracted with ether. After distilling the ether a reaction mixture was obtained from which 215 g of phenylacetic acid methyl ester in a purity of 97.03% was obtained by distillation (yield 95.4%).

Provenance & Evidence