Water → Tert.butyl 2-chloro-2,3-epoxy-3-isopropyl-butanoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of 122 g of potassium tert.-butylate in 720 ml of tetrahydrofuran was added with stirring under an inert atmosphere at -20°C to a mixture of 95 g of methyl isopropyl ketone and 185 g of tert.-butyl dichloroacetate and the mixture was allowed to return to room temperature and was stirred for 2 hours. The mixture was poured into iced water and stirred after which the organic phase was removed, washed with aqueous sodium chloride solution and dried over magnesium sulfate. After passing the solution through vegetable black, the solution was concentrated to dryness to obtain 230.4 g of tert.-butyl 2-chloro-2,3-epoxy-3-isopropyl-butanoate in the form of a colorless liquid soluble in the usual organic solvents and insoluble in water.

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