Ethylene Glycol → Methyl 4,4-ethylenedioxy-3-methyl-butanoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of methyl 3-methyl-4-oxo-butanoate (86.3 g), ethylene glycol (61.75 g, 0.996 m), p-toluenesulfonic acid (1 g) and benzene (700 ml) is refluxed under nitrogen for 16 hours. The resulting mixture is allowed to cool to room temperature and treated with ether (300 ml). The organic phase is washed with 5% sodium bicarbonate solution (100 ml), dried (Na2SO4) and evaporated in vacuo to give methyl 4,4-ethylenedioxy-3-methylbutanoate as a crude product (63.2 g). This material is used directly in the next step.

Provenance & Evidence