Sodium Hydroxide → 3-Chloro-2,2-dimethylbut-3-enoic acid

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Reaction Steps

A mixture of methyl 3-chloro-2,2-dimethylbut-3-enoate (42.0 g, 0.26 mol) and NaOH (12.4 g, 0.31 mol) in water (300 mL) was heated at reflux overnight. After cooling, the reaction mixture was extracted with ether. The organic layer contained 20 g of methyl 3-chloro-2,2-dimethylbut-3-enoate (48% recovered). The aqueous layer was acidified with cold 20% HCl solution and was extracted with ether (250 mL×3). The combined organic layers were dried and evaporated under reduced pressure to give 3-chloro-2,2-dimethylbut-3-enoic acid (17 g, 44%), which was used directly in the next step.

Provenance & Evidence