Methanol → Methyl 3,5-difluoro-4-hydroxybenzoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

To 100 ml of methanol were added 7.0 g of 4-benzyloxy-3,5-difluorobenzonitrile and 15 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid, and the resulting mixture was heated under reflux for 5 days. Thereafter, water was added to the reaction mixture which had been allowed to cool to near room temperature, followed by extraction with ethyl acetate. The organic layer was dried over magnesium sulfate, and concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue was subjected to silica gel column chromatography, and 4.5 g of methyl 3,5-difluoro-4-hydroxybenzoate was obtained.

Provenance & Evidence