Nitric Acid → 4-Ethyl-3-nitrobenzoic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

4-Ethylbenzoic acid (12.0 g, 79.9 mmol) was added portionwise to fuming nitric acid (62 mL) with stirring at room temperature. Following the addition, the mixture was poured into water (500 mL), stirred, and extracted with ethyl acetate (300 mL). Saturated brine (150 mL) was added and the mixture shaken then separated. The organic solution was washed with brine then dried over magnesium sulfate. Filtration, removal of the solvent by rotovap under reduced pressure, and trituration of the residue in hexane afforded the product (13.3 g); pure after recrystallization from hexane/ethyl acetate.

Provenance & Evidence