Methanol → Methyl 2-(2-bromophenyl)acetate

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of o-bromophenylacetic acid (5 g, 23.2 mmol) in dry methanol (40 mL) containing concentrated sulphuric acid (1 mL) was heated to reflux for 6 hours. The reaction mixture was cooled, then poured into ice water (100 mL) and extracted with ethyl acetate (30 mL×2). The organic layers were combined, washed successively with water (20 mL×2), saturated sodium bicarbonate solution (40 mL×2) and brine. And then the organic layers were combined, dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated in vacuo to give methyl 2-(2-bromophenyl)acetate as a pale yellow liquid (5.2 g, 98%). 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3): δ 7.57 (d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.34-7.22 (m, 2H), 7.17-7.11 (m, 1H), 3.80 (s, 2H), 3.72 (s, 3H).

Provenance & Evidence