N-bromobutanimide → Ethyl 2-(3-(bromomethyl)phenyl)acetate

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a mixture of m-tolylacetic acid ethyl ester (3.0 g, 16.8 mmol) and N-bromosuccinimide (3.0 g, 16.8 mmol) was added carbon tetrachloride (45 mL), followed by benzoyl peroxide (5 mg), and the reaction mixture was heated at reflux for 16 h. The reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature, filtered, and concentrated under reduced pressure. Purification by flash column chromatography (silica, eluent 5:95 to 2:3 EtOAc/hexanes) afforded ethyl (3-bromomethylphenyl)acetate as an off-white solid (0.89 g, 21%): 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3) δ 7.32-7.21 (m, 4H), 4.48 (s, 2H), 4.16 (q, J=6 Hz, 2H), 3.63, (s, 2H), 1.27 (t, J=6 Hz, 3H).

Provenance & Evidence