4-Methylpyridine → alpha,alpha-Bis(4-fluorophenyl)-4-pyridineethanol

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A solution of 27.8 g (0.30 mole) of 4-picoline in 400 ml of tetrahydrofuran and under an atmosphere of nitrogen was cooled to -30° C. in a dry-ice acetone bath. A solution of 2.5 moles n-butyllithium in hexane (119 ml, 0.30 mole) was added over 1 hr and the mixture was stirred for an additional 30 min at -30° C. The reaction mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature over 1.5 hr, and 66.7 g (0.30 mole) of 4,4'-difluorobenzophenone in 100 ml of tetrahydrofuran was added. The mixture was stirred for 2 hr and then was poured into an icy solution of ammonium chloride. A white solid was collected. The aqueous mixture was extracted with several portions of methylene chloride and the methylene chloride then removed in vacuo to give additional solid. The solid fractions were combined and recrystallized from a mixture of ether-hexane to give 63.14 g (67.9% yield) of title compound as a white, crystalline solid: mp 158°-159.5° C.

Provenance & Evidence