Nitric Acid → 2-Methyl-1-(4-nitrophenyl)propan-2-amine

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A solution of phentermine (1.0 g) in chloroform (20 ml) was added dropwise to sulfuric acid (3.57 ml) at 0° C.; then fuming nitric acid (specific gravity=1.52; 2.8 ml) was added dropwise at 0° C. The reaction mixture was stirred at 0° C. for 2 h, made alkaline with water and a 2 N aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and extracted with ethyl acetate. The organic layer was washed with a saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution, dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure. The resulting residue was purified by silica gel column chromatography (eluent, chloroform:methanol=9:1) to give 367 mg of the titled compound (yield, 28%).

Provenance & Evidence