Iodine → Tert-butyl 3-(3-chloro-5-fluorophenyl)-3-hydroxypyrrolidine-1-carboxylate

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a solution of 1-bromo-3-chloro-5-fluorobenzene (4.0 g, 19.1 mmol) in dry tetrahydrofuran (40 mL), under nitrogen, was added magnesium turnings (0.47 g, 21.0 mmol) and a small piece of iodine. The mixture was heated with a heat-gun until the colour disappeared and then stirred at ambient temperature for 0.5 h after which a solution of 1-N-boc-3-pyrrolidinone (2.8 g, 15.3 mmol) in dry tetrahydrofuran (10 mL) was added drop wise. The reaction mixture was stirred for 0.5 h at ambient temperature and then quenched with water (70 mL). Aqueous saturated ammonium chloride (20 mL) was added and the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate (2×100 mL). The combined organic phase was dried (MgSO4), filtered and evaporated. Purification by flash column chromatography on silica gel (ethyl acetate/isooctane, 1:1) gave the title compound (2.43 g). MS m/z (rel. intensity, 70 eV) 315 (M+, 1), 259 (14), 214 (22), 184 (13), 143 (11), 57 (bp).

Provenance & Evidence