Hydroxyphenylacetic acid → 4-Hydroxy-3-nitrophenylacetic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

In a first step, carried out according to Humel in Synth. Commun. 15, pages 1081-88 (1985), to a magnetically stirred solution of 100 g (0.65 mole) of 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid in 250 ml of glacial acetic acid was added dropwise a mixture of 40 ml of nitric acid (1.4 specific gravity) and 60 ml glacial acetic acid. The glacial acetic acid was warmed to about 45° C. to completely dissolve the 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid. Following addition of the nitric acid/acetic acid mixture, stirring of the resulting mixture was continued for one hour at 25° C. and then the flask was chilled in ice water for one hour. The resulting crystals were washed with cold water and air-dried at room temperature, the reaction providing 65% of the theoretical yield of 3-nitro 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid.

Provenance & Evidence