Water → 2,2,2-Trifluoro-1-(4-fluorophenyl)ethanol

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Reaction Steps

212 g (1 mol) of p-fluorotrifluoroacetophenone is dissolved in 1000 ml of ethanol; to the solution at 0°-10° is added 20 g of NaBH4, and the whole is stirred for 2 hours, and then for a further 4 hours at room temperature. 500 ml of water is slowly added, and the supernatant clear solution is decanted, and subsequently concentrated in a rotary evaporator. The residue is dissolved in diethyl ether, the solution is washed with water, dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated by evaporation. The oily residue is fractionally distilled to yield 171 g of p-fluorophenyl-trifluoromethyl carbinol, b.p. 86°-90° C./20 mbars.

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