Sodium Hydroxide → (2-Hydroxyphenyl)acetic acid

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

(2-Chlorophenyl)acetic acid (3.4 g, 0.02M), crushed sodium hydroxide pellets (4.8 g, 0.12M) and `SOLVESSO` 200 (30 g) were stirred for 0.5 hours. Cupric sulphate pentahydrate (0.2 g, 0.0008M) was added and the mixture heated at 190°-196° C. for about 4 hours. The reaction mass was cooled to 20° C. and treated with water (50 g), transferred to a separator with a further amount of water (50 g) and filtered. The separated aqueous filtrates were acidified to about pH4 using 36% hydrochloric acid and the product was extracted into ethyl acetate (180 g). (2-Hydroxyphenyl)acetic acid (2.62 g) was isolated as a solid by distillation of the ethyl acetate.

Provenance & Evidence