Water → Ibuprofen, (+-)-

Participants

Reaction Steps

A 300-ml autoclave made of Hastelloy was charged with 9.1 g (51.1 mmol) of α-(4-isobutylphenyl)ethyl alcohol, 1.5 g (3.10 mmol) of rhodium iodide, 5.8 g (322 mmol) of water, which gave a concentration of water in the reaction mixture of 2.9 mol/l, and 100 ml of dioxane, as a solvent, to cause a reaction to occur therein under the same conditions as those defined in Example 1. After the completion of the reaction, the gas chromatographic and NMR analysis of the contents indicated that 59% of the α-(4-isobutylphenyl)ethyl alcohol remained unreacted while 40% thereof was converted into 4-isobutylstyrene and α-(4-isobutylphenyl)propionic acid was formed only in a trace amount.

Provenance & Evidence