Ethyl 3-methyl-2-oxobutyrate → HCID 59843746, compound

Participants

Reaction Steps

(R)-2-phenylglycinol (4) (2.00 g, 14.6 mmol, 1.0 equiv.) and ethyl 3-methyl-2-oxobutyrate (2.20 mL, 14.6 mmol. 1.0 equiv.) were refluxed in trifluoroethanol (30 mL) over activated 4 molecular sieves (7.0 g) for 24 hours. Filtration through a short pad of CELITE® diatomaceous earth and removal of solvent from the filtrate in vacuo generated the crude product which was purified by flash column chromatography on silica, eluting with petrol and diethyl ether (4:1) to furnish the title compound as a colourless oil (1.13 g, 36%); v(max)(film) 2965 (C—H), 1740 (C═O), 1638 (C═N) cm−1; δH (250 MHz, CDCl3) 7.45-7.32 (5H, m, Ph), 4.90-4.83 (1H, m, PhCH), 4.55 (1H, dd, J 4.4 Hz, T 11.5 Hz, 6β-H), 4.13 (1H, dd/10.9 Hz, T 11.4 Hz, 6α-H), 3.32 (1H, m, CH(CH3)2), 1.25 (3H, d, J 5.0 Hz, CH(CH3)2×3), 1.22 (3H, d, /5.0 Hz, CH(CH3)2×3); δc (62.5 MHz, CDCl3) 167.7, 155.7, 137.5, 129.3, 128.6, 127.4, 71.7, 59.7, 32.7, 20.7, 19.9: m/z (CL, NH3), 220 (100%), 218 (MH+, 17%), 217 (27%), and 216 (25%); HRMS for C13H16NO2 requires 218.1177 found 218.1181. [α]D20 −207.5 (c 1.17 CHCl3).

Provenance & Evidence