3-Phenylpropanamide → 4-(2,2-dimethyl-1-oxopropyl)-N-(3-phenylpropionyl)-benzamide

Participants

Reaction Steps

A slurry of potassium hydride (from 46 grams of 35% potassium hydride in oil washed three times with hexane)in 50 ml of THF is added with stirring under nitrogen to 20 grams of 3-phenylpropionamide in 350ml of THF. After addition of the hydride is complete, the reaction is allowed to warm to room temperature and is stirred for 30 minutes. The thickened reaction mixture is cooled to 0° to 5° C. and is then added dropwise over 30 minutes to a solution of 30 grams of p-pivaloylbenzoyl chloride in 50 ml of dry THF. The resulting solution is stirred for 15 minutes at 0° to 5° C. and is then quenched with 150 ml of saturated ammonium chloride solution. The THF phase is decanted off, and the aqueous phase is extracted with ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate extract is combined with the THF phase, dried with magnesium sulfate, filtered, and then evaporated almost to dryness. The resulting solids are triturated with ether, and the white crystals obtained are filtered, washed with ether and dried to yield the title product (m.p. 137°-138° C.).

Provenance & Evidence