Hydrochloric Acid → Dimethyl [2-oxo-3-(indol-5yloxy)propyl]phosphonate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

n-Butyl-lithium (21.8ml. of a 2.92M solution in hexane) was added to a solution of dimethyl methylphosphonate (6.2g.) in dry tetrahydrofuran (50ml.) at -78°C. in an atmosphere of argon. After 10 minutes, a solution of ethyl 5-indolyloxyacetate (5.5g.) in dry tetrahydrofuran (50ml.) was added dropwise, and the mixture was stirred for 2 hours at -78°C. The reaction mixture was poured into 2N hydrochloric acid and stirred vigorously for 5 minutes, then the solvents were evaporated under reduced pressure. The residue was shaken with a mixture of ethyl acetate and water, and the organic phase was separated and washed with brine. The solution was dried, the solvents were evaporated and the residue was chromatographed on a column of silica gel MFC (250 g.)using methylene dichloride : ethyl acetate mixtures as eluant, to give dimethyl [2-oxo-3-(indol-5yloxy)propyl]phosphonate as an oil, RF = 0.3 (ethyl acetate).

Provenance & Evidence