Formaldehyde → 2-[(Ethylsulfanyl)methyl]prop-2-enoic acid

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A mixture of malonic acid (5.2 g, 50 mmol), paraformaldehyde (3.3 g, 110 mmol), dicyclohexylamine, 9.95 ml, 50 mmol) and ethanethiol 4.06 ml, 55 mmol) in dioxane (120 ml) was heated at 70° C. for 2 hours. The solvents were removed under reduced pressure, the residue was redissolved in ethyl acetate and the solution was extracted with saturated aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate (4×20 ml). The combined aqueous layers were washed with ethyl acetate (20 ml) then acidified with 1 M hydrochloric acid. The resulting suspension was extracted into dichloromethane and the solution was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, filtered and evaporated to provide the title compound as a white solid (3.76 g, 52%). 1H-NMR; δ (CDCl3), 9.89 (1H, brs), 6.35 (1H, s), 5.77 (1H, s), 3.39 (2H, s), 2.49 (2H, dd, J=7.4, 14.5 Hz) and 1.25 (3H, t, J=5.2 Hz).

Provenance & Evidence