Tetrahydrofuran → 4-(2-phenylethynyl)phenol

Participants

Reaction Steps

4-(Phenylethynyl)phenyl acetate (60.6 g, 0.256 moles), 20 percent aqueous sodium hydroxide (400 mL), and tetrahydrofuran (400 mL) are added to a 2-L Erlenmeyer flask and stirred at room temperature for 5 hours. The mixture is acidified with glacial acetic acid (120 mL) until a pH of 7 is reached. The aqueous layer is removed and extracted with tetrahydrofuran. The organic layers are combined and concentrated on a rotovap to give a tan solid. The solid is heated with hexanes (700 mL) on a steam bath and the hot solution decanted from the solid. This is repeated with a second volume of hexanes (700 mL). A white solid crystallizes from the hexane solution upon cooling and is isolated by filtration and dried in vacuo to give 18 g of a white solid, mp 126° C. to 127° C. NMR analysis is consistent with the structure of the desired material.

Provenance & Evidence