Acetic Acid → ethyl N-(3-methoxybenzyl)benzylaminoethanoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a solution of ethyl N-benzyl-glycinate (34.1 g, 176 mmol) and m-anisaldehyde (11.0 g, 80.8 mmol) in methanol (500 mL) was added acetic acid (12.1 mL, 202 mmol) followed by sodium cyanoborohydride (3.4 g, 54 mmol). The mixture was stirred at ambient temperature for 2.5 hours whereupon LCMS analysis showed completion of the reaction. The solvent was removed on a rotary evaporator and the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate, washed with saturated sodium bicarbonate to neutrality. The organic phase was washed with brine, dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and concentrated. Flash chromatography over silica gel (CH2Cl2) gave 21.5 g (85% of [benzyl-(3-methoxy-benzyl)-amino]-acetic acid ethyl ester as a colorless oil. 1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ 7.35 (m, 4H), 7.25 (m, 2H), 6.93 (m, 2H), 6.82 (d, J=9 Hz, 1H), 4.10 (q, J=7 Hz, 2H), 3.74 (s, 3H), 3.70 (s, 2H), 3.32 (s, 2H), 3.24 (s, 2H), 1.18 (t, J=7 Hz, 3H; MS (m/e) 314 (M+1).

Provenance & Evidence