Acetic Acid → Ethyl 2-formylbutanoate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A solution of diisopropylamine (120.6 mL, 0.86 mol) (Aldrich) in tetrahyrofuran (370 mL) was cooled to −30° C. n-Butyllithium (2.5 M in hexanes, 344.2 mL, 0.86 mol) (Aldrich) was added dropwise at such a rate that the reaction mixture temperature was kept between −30 to 0° C. The reaction mixture was then cooled to −75° C. in a dry ice-acetone bath. A solution of ethyl butyrate (100 g, 0.86 mol) (Aldrich) in tetrahydrofuran (170 mL) was added dropwise over 28 minutes and keeping the reaction temperature between −75 to −70° C. The mixture was stirred at the same temperature for an additional 30 minutes. Ethyl formate (125 mL, 1.55 mol) (Aldrich) was then added to this mixture over 25 minutes and maintaining the temperature between −75 to −70° C. The resultant mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature and stirred at room temperature for 3 hours. With external cooling in a cold water bath to keep the reaction temperature below 30° C. acetic acid (98.55 mL, 1.72 mol) was added, followed by water (430 mL) and dichloromethane (200 mL). After separating the layers, the organic layer was washed with water (300 mL). The combined water layer was extracted with dichloromethane (200 mL). The combined organic layer was washed with aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution (200 mL). The basic aqueous solution was extracted with dichloromethane (100 mL). All organic layers were then combined, dried over sodium sulfate over night, filtered and distilled to remove solvent leaving about 180 mL. (Some of the product was distilled over with tetrahydrofuran.) The residue was distilled at 65–81° C. (23 mm Hg). The fraction distilling over at 70–81° C. (23 mm Hg) gave ethyl 2-formylbutyrate. (Yield 68.35 g, 55.1%).

Provenance & Evidence