Water → 1-(3-(Phenylmethoxy)phenyl)ethan-1-one

Participants

Reaction Steps

Over a period of 1.5 hours, methyl lithium (531 ml. of a 2 molar solution, 1.06 M) is added under a nitrogen atmosphere to a rapidly stirring solution of 3-benzyloxybenzoic acid (116 g., 0.532 M) in ether (250 ml.)-tetrahydrofuran (1400 ml.) maintained at 15°-20° C. After stirring an additional 0.75 hour at 10°-15° C., water (600 ml.) is slowly added keeping the reaction temperature below 20° C. The aqueous layer is separated and extracted with ether (3×250 ml.). The organic phases are combined, washed with saturated sodium chloride solution (4×300 ml.), dried over sodium sulfate, and concentrated under vacuum to give the product as an oil.

Provenance & Evidence