Isopropanol → (E)-4-(2-chloro-4-biphenylyl)-3-pentene-2-ol

Participants

Reaction Steps

80.0 Gm (0.296 mol) of (E)-4-(2-chloro-biphenylyl)-3-pentene-2-one were gently refluxed with 68.0 gm (0.333 mol) of aluminum isopropylate and 300 ml (3.92 mols) of isopropanol in a dry distillation apparatus with a 60-cm-Vigreux-column, such that only about 5 drops were distilled off per minute. After about 5 hours no acetone was found to be present in the distillate (using hydrochloric acid 2,4-dinitrophenyl-hydrazine solution) and in the reaction mixture no unreacted starting material could be found (by thin-layer-chromatography). The isopropanol was distilled off in a weak vacuum. The residue was hydrolyzed by addition of 300 gm of crushed ice. The ethereal (upper) phase, was decanted, and the aluminum hydrozide slurry was carefully washed with ether several times. The combined extracts were washed with water, with aqueous 5% sodium hydroxide and again with water, and dried over sodium sulfate. The solvent was evaporated in vacuo and the residue was recrystallized once from petroleum ether/ethyl acetate (ratio by volume = 4:1). Yield: 64.0 gm (79% of theory) of colorless crystals, m.p. 86°C.

Provenance & Evidence