Acetic Acid → 4889-69-4

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A five-liter, 3-neck flask fitted with a reflux condensor and drying tube, an air-driven stirring blade, and thermometer and temperature controller was charged with 2-(4'-chlorobenzoyl)benzoic acid (130.3 grams; 0.5 mol), zinc dust (490.3 g; 7.5 gram-atom), glacial acetic acid (2500 milliliters (ml)), and water (500 ml). The resulting mixture was heated, with stirring, under reflux temperatures (about 105° C.) for about 2 hours. The acetic acid solution was then decanted from the zinc and poured into 4 liters of cold water and the resulting white, fluffy needles were collected by filtration and dried at 60° C. at 10 mm of pressure for 14 hours. As a result of such operations, the desired 3-(4'-chlorophenyl)phthalide compound of Formula I was obtained in a yield of about 88%. Recrystallization from ethanol gave a purified product having an m.p. of 123.5°-124° C. as compared to a literature reference (Rec. Trav. Chim., 82, 801-805 (1963)) of 122°-125° C.

Provenance & Evidence