Acetic Acid → Benzenemethanamine, N-butyl-2-fluoro-4-(trifluoromethyl)-

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Reaction Steps

To a solution of 2-fluoro-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzaldehyde (3.84 g, 20.0 mmol) and n-butylamine (1.46 g, 20.0 mmol) in methanol (100 mL) were added acetic acid (4.6 mL, 80 mmol) and sodium cyanoborohydride (1.51 g, 24.0 mmol) and the solution was stirred at room temperature for 3 days. Water (10 mL) was added and the mixture was concentrated in vacuo. The residue was taken up in aqueous 1 M KOH (125 mL) and ethyl acetate (100 mL) and the phases were separated. The aqueous phase was extracted with ethyl acetate (2×100 mL) and the combined organic phase was dried over Na2SO4 and concentrated in vacuo. Purification on a prepacked column of silica gel (Isolute® SPE Column, 70 g/150 mL) with ethyl acetate (33-100% gradient) in heptane as the eluent and collection of pure fractions yielded 1.28 g (26%) of a colourless oil of low viscosity.

Provenance & Evidence