Hydrochloric Acid → 2-Cyclopropyl-6-methylphenyl acetate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A 300 ml four-necked round-bottomed flask was equipped with a magnetic stirrer bar, a thermometer, a reflux condenser and a drying tube. Magnesium (1.50 g, 61.7 mmol), toluene (15 ml) and anhydrous THF (15 ml) were added to the flask under a nitrogen atmosphere. The mixture was heated in an oil bath of 75° C. for 15 minutes (temperature of the mixture was 62-64° C.). Subsequently, the mixture was heated in an oil bath of 75° C. and a solution of 2-(1,3-dibromopropyl)-6-methylphenyl acetate (17.9 g, purity: 67%, 34.3 mmol) in toluene (60 ml) was added thereto over 30 minutes. The temperature of the mixture was raised to 89° C. After the mixture was stirred in an oil bath of 75° C. for 5.5 hours, the mixture was cooled and 6M hydrochloric acid (20.5 ml, 123 mmol) was added dropwise thereto over 15 minutes such that the temperature of the reaction mixture did not exceed 45° C. After the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour, it was diluted with water (20 ml) and it was stirred for 10 minutes. The solution was separated and the organic layer was successively washed with a saturated aqueous NaHCO3 solution (50 ml) and water (50 ml) and concentrated to obtain 11.1 g (purity: 45.2%, 26.4 mmol) of 2-cyclopropyl-6-methylphenyl acetate as a brown gum.

Provenance & Evidence