Hydrochloric Acid → Ethyl (3-nitrophenyl)acetate

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a solution of 10 g (60 mmol) of 3-nitrophenylacetic acid in 120 ml of ethanol were added 20 ml of a saturated solution of hydrogen chloride in ethyl acetate and the mixture was heated at reflux for 4 hours, cooled and left to stand at room temperature for 18 hours. The mixture was evaporated and the residue was partitioned between 120 ml of diethyl ether and 100 ml of saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution. The organic phase was dried over magnesium sulfate, filtered and evaporated to give 10.3 g (82%) of ethyl 3-nitrophenylacetate as a pale yellow oil. [NMR spectrum (250 MHz) δ1.25(t) (3H), δ3.68(s) (2H), δ4.6(q) (2H), δ6.5-δ6.7(m) (3H), δ7.09(dd) (1H)].

Provenance & Evidence