Aniline → 4-Anilino-3-nitrobenzoic acid

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Reaction Steps

A mixture of 4-chloro-3-nitrobenzoic acid (5.70 gm, 23 mmol), aniline (3.17 mL, 35 mmol), N-methylmorpholine (3.24 mL, 25 mmol), copper powder (0.1 gm, 1.57 mmol) and isoamyl alcohol (200 mL) was heated to reflux with stirring for 6 days. The mixture was then cooled to room temperature and filtered through a pad of celite. The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo and the residue taken up in ethyl acetate. The organic phase was washed with 3N HCl (2×1 L). The resulting organic phase was then extracted with saturated aqueous sodium carbonate solution. The aqueous phase was then washed with diethyl ether, followed by ethyl acetate. The aqueous phase was cautiously acidified to pH=1 with 6N HCl, and the resulting precipitate was filtered and dried to afford 2.54 gm of the title compound which was used without further purification.

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