Diethyl Ether → Methyl 2-(3-phenoxyphenyl)propanoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

Methyl α-methylthio-α-(m-phenoxyphenyl)propionate (302 mg) was dissolved in 2 ml of acetic acid, and 16 mg of anhydrous copper sulfate and 150 mg of zinc powder were added. With stirring, the mixture was heated under reflux for 9 hours. Furthermore, 50 mg of zinc powder was added, and the mixture was heated under reflux for 2 hours. Diethyl ether (60 mg) was added, and the insoluble matter was separated by filtration. The filtrate was washed twice with 10 ml of water and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure, and the residue was subjected to short-path distillation (bath temperature 140°-160° C./0.02 mmHg) to afford 249 mg of methyl α-(m-phenoxyphenyl)propionate as a colorless oil in a yield of 97%.

Provenance & Evidence