Acetone → 2,4-Pentanedione, 1-phenyl-

Participants

Reaction Steps

Sodium (28 g) was added in small portions to a solution of ethyl phenylacetate (600 g, 3.66 moles) and acetone (70.7 g, 1.22 moles) under nitrogen, was dissolved at 30°-40° C. with stirring for 1 hour and then the mixture was reacted at 70°-80° C. for 4.5 hours. The reaction mixture was taken up in H2O (1.2 l), neutralized with dilute hydrochloric acid and extracted with chloroform. The organic layer was washed with H2O, dried over anhydrous MgSO4 and then evaporated. The residue was distilled under reduced pressure to give 53.2 g of the desired product as a colorless oil having a boiling point of 142°-146° C./15 mmHg. [Lit.: bp. 133°-136° C./10 mmHg; K. G. Hampton, T. M. Harris, C. R. Hauser, Org. Synth., 51., 128 (1971).]

Provenance & Evidence