Sodium hydride → 5-Benzyl-1-benzyloxymethyl-4-isopropyl-2-methyl-1H-imidazole

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a solution of 980 mg of 5-benzyl-4-isopropyl-2-methylimidazole (4.58 mmol) in 9.8 ml of dry dimethylformamide is added 238 mg of 60% oil suspension of sodium hydride (5.95 mmol) under ice cooling. Ten minutes later, 935 mg of benzyloxymethyl chloride (5.97 mmol) is dropwise added. One hour later, the reaction mixture is poured onto ice water and extracted with ethyl acetate. The extract is washed with saturated brine, dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and the liltrate is concentrated in vacuo. The crude product is chromatographed on a column of silica gel, eluting with ethyl acetate and n-hexane (1:1) to give 820 mg of the objective 5-benzyl-1-benzyloxymethyl-4-isopropyl-2-methylimidazole (I-42). Yield, 54.17%.

Provenance & Evidence