2,3-Dimethylphenol → Ethyl 4-(2,3-dimethylphenoxy)butyrate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 2,3-dimethylphenol (12.2 g, 100 mmol), tetrabutylammonium iodide (0.738 g, 1.997 mmol), ethyl 4-bromobutanoate (14.29 mL, 100 mmol), and potassium carbonate (27.6 g, 200 mmol) in THF (100 mL) was heated at 60° C. for 20 h. After this time, the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature. Once at the prescribed temperature, the reaction mixture was quenched with water (50 mL), and extracted with EtOAc (2×50 mL). The combined organic phases were concentrated, and purified by flash chromatography (0 to 30% EtOAc:hexanes) to afford the title compound (22.5 g, 90% yield) as colorless oil. LCMS, [M+Na]+=259.1. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 7.01 (dd, J=8.2, 7.5 Hz, 1H), 6.75 (d, J=7.5 Hz, 1H), 6.67 (d, J=8.2 Hz, 1H), 4.13 (q, J=7.1 Hz, 2H), 3.97 (t, J=6.0 Hz, 2H), 2.52 (t, J=7.4 Hz, 2H), 2.25 (s, 3H), 2.15-2.07 (m, 2H), 2.12 (s, 3H), 1.24 (t, J=7.1 Hz, 3H).

Provenance & Evidence