Acetic Acid → 3-Chloro-8-dimethylaminomethyl-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid ethyl ester

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of dimethylamine (5.6 M in EtOH, 0.36 ml, 2.0 mmol, 1.5 equiv) was added to a solution of 3-chloro-8-formyl-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid ethyl ester (350 mg, 1.33 mmol) in THF (6.5 ml). After stirring at room temperature for 16 hours, a solution of sodium cyanoborohydride (101 mg, 1.6 mmol, 1.2 equiv) in MeOH (3.0 ml) and acetic acid (0.38 ml, 6.7 mmol, 5.0 equiv) were added, and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 3 hours. After dilution with water (75 ml), the mixture was extracted with CH2Cl2 (total of 400 ml). The combined organic layers were washed with concentrated aqueous NaHCO3 solution, dried over Na2SO4, filtered and concentrated in vacuo. The residue was purified via flash chromatography (gradient of hexane/EtOAc 100:0 to 1:2) to afford the title compound (133 mg, 34%) as a mixture of regioisomers, which could be separated for analytical purposes. 3-Chloro-8-dimethylaminomethyl-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid ethyl ester 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ=8.72 (s, 1H), 8.08 (s, 1H), 7.87 (d, J=7.7 Hz, 1H), 7.61-7.55 (m, 2H), 4.42 (q, J=7.1 Hz, 2H), 3.97 (br s, 2H), 2.33 (s, 6H), 1.40 (t, J=7.1 Hz, 3H). MS (ES+): 292 (M+H)+. 3-Chloro-5-dimethylaminomethyl-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid ethyl ester: 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ=8.39 (s, 1H), 8.35 (s, 1H), 7.94 (d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.57-7.50 (m, 2H), 4.41 (q, J=7.1 Hz, 2H), 3.81 (s, 2H), 2.24 (s, 6H), 1.40 (t, J=7.1 Hz, 3H). MS (ES+): 292 (M+H)+.

Provenance & Evidence