Diethyl Ether → Methyl 3-phthalimido-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)propionate

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of methyl 3-amino-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)propionate hydrochloride (1.38 g, 5.00 mmol), sodium carbonate (0.53 g, 5.00 mmol), and N-carbethoxyphthalimide (1.10 g, 5.0 mmol) in 40 mL of acetonitrile/water (1/1) was stirred for 1 hour at room temperature. The reaction solution was then partially concentrated under reduced pressure to remove the acetonitrile. This afforded a white gum in water. To the mixture was then added 5 mL of ether and the mixture was stirred for 2 hours. The resulting slurry was filtered, the solid was washed with a copious amount of water and air-dried overnight to afford 1.69 g (92%) of methyl 3-phthalimido-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)propionate as a white solid: mp 114.1-115.6° C.; 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 250 MHz)d 7.80-7.95 (m, 4H, Ar), 6.80-7.10 (m, 3H, Ar), 5.65 (dd, 1H, J1=7 Hz, J2=9 Hz), 3.74 (s, 3H, OCH3), 3.72 (s, 3H, OCH3), 3.55 (s, 3H, OCH3), 3.30-3.67 (m, 2H); 13C NMR d(DMSO-d6)d 170.8, 167.6, 148.6, 148.4, 134.7, 131.1, 131.0, 123.2, 119.3, 111.7, 111.0, 55.5, 51.6, 49.9, 35.6. Anal. Calcd for C20H19NO6. Theoretical C, 65.03; H, 5.18; N, 3.79. Found C, 65.17; H, 5.14; N, 3.75. HPLC 99%.

Provenance & Evidence