Dimethyl Sulfoxide → 4-(4-Fluorophenylsulphonyl)phenol

Participants

Reaction Steps

Bis-(4-fluorophenyl) sulphone (100 g; 0.394 mole), potassium hydroxide solution (91.98 g; 0.787 mole KOH) and dimethyl sulphoxide (400 cm3) were stirred together in a stainless steel vessel under nitrogen at 57° C. for 24 hours. Two liquid phases remained throughout the reaction. The reaction mixture was diluted with water and twice extracted with diethyl ether to recover non-phenolic material (9 g). The aqueous phase was then acidified and the phenolic component (86 g; m.p. 150°-154° C.) was extracted with more ether. By subliming this product under a diffusion pump at 180° C., followed by recrystallisation from toluene (400 cm3), 4-(4-fluorophenylsulphonyl)phenol (72.5 g) was obtained, m.p. 158°-159° C. The potassium salt was obtained from this phenol as a very pale yellow solid.

Provenance & Evidence