Sulfuric Acid → Methyl 3-isopropyl-2-methoxybenzoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

28 g (156.25 mmol) of 2-hydroxy-3-isopropylbenzoic acid is dissolved in 280 ml of DMF and added in drops to a mixture of 47.5 g of potassium carbonate in 274 ml of DMF. After one more hour of stirring at room temperature, 21.4 ml (343.76 mmol) of iodomethane is added in drops, and the mixture is stirred for one day at room temperature. After acidication with 10% sulfuric acid to pH 3-4 (ice-bath cooling), the reaction mixture is extracted four times with 500 ml each of methyl tert-butyl ether. The combined organic extracts are washed with water and with brine and dried on sodium sulfate. After the dessicant is filtered off, the solvent is spun off, and the residue is chromatographed several times on silica gel (mobile solvent: methyl tert-butyl ether/hexane). 25.59 g (79.02%) of the desired compound is isolated.

Provenance & Evidence