Dimethyl Succinate → (E)-3-Methoxycarbonyl-4-(3-methylphenyl)-3-butenoic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a solution of sodium methoxide (1.4 g) in methanol (20 ml}was added a mixture of 3-methylbenzaldehyde (2.4 g) and dimethyl succinate (3.5 g) and the mixture was refluxed for 3 hours. After the reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo, water was added to the resulting residue and the mixture was washed with diethyl ether. The aqueous layer was acidified with hydrochloric acid and extracted with diethyl ether. The organic layer was washed with brine and dried over MgSO4. The solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure to give 3.8 g of

Provenance & Evidence