Methanol → (4-Fluoro-3-methylphenyl)acetic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

2-(4-Fluoro-3-methylphenyl)acetonitrile (1 g) and sodium hydroxide (0.8 g) were combined in a mixture of methanol (10 mL) and water (3 mL). The resulting mixture was then heated at reflux overnight. The reaction was concentrated in vacuo and the residue dissolved in water (25 mL). The aqueous phase was washed with ether (2×25 mL), acidified with concentrated hydrochloric acid and extracted with ether (3×25 mL). The combined organic solutions were washed with brine, dried over sodium sulphate, filtered and evaporated in vacuo to afford the subtitled compound as a white solid. Yield 1.1 g.

Provenance & Evidence