Potassium Hydroxide → 5-Ethoxy-4-methyl-2-vinyloxazole

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Reaction Steps

To a suspension of 1.0 mole of phosphorus pentoxide in 300 ml. of dry chloroform is added dropwise with stirring a solution of 0.5 mole of N-acryloylalanine ethyl ester. The reaction mixture is heated at gentle reflux for 5 hours and then cooled. To the cooled mixture is added with rapid stirring 750 ml. of 20% aqueous potassium hydroxide. After stirring at room temperature for 1 hour, the chloroform layer is separated and the aqueous layer extracted with 2×200 ml. of chloroform. The combined chloroform extracts are washed with water, dried over sodium sulfate, and concentrated in vacuo to yield 5-ethoxy-4-methyl-2-vinyloxazole.

Provenance & Evidence