Benzyl Alcohol → 2-Furancarboxylic acid, tetrahydro-, phenylmethyl ester

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Reaction Steps

Tetrahydrofuroyl chloride (15.0 g, 112 mmol) was added dropwise to a cold solution of benzyl alcohol (10.9 g, 101 mmol) and pyridine (20.0 g, 253 mmol) in Et2O (200 mL). The solution was stirred at 0° for 40 minutes, then filtered to remove the side product pyridine hydrochloride. The filtrate was washed with 0.1M HCl (50 mL), saturated aqueous NaHCO3 (50 mL), and brine (50 mL), and then dried over MgSO4. Filtration and evaporation of the solvent gave a yellow oil, which was distilled. Benzyl tetrahydrofuroate was obtained as a colorless oil (21.1 g), b.p. 118° to 120° at 0.5 mm Hg. Microanalysis calc'd for C12H14O3 (206.2): C, 69.89; H, 6.84; O, 23.27; Found: C, 69.62; H, 6.89.

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