tert-Butanol → 3-oxo-2-[4-(pyrrolidine-1-carbonyl)benzyl]pentanoic Acid Methyl Ester

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A suspension of potassium tert-butoxide (1.4 g) in anhydrous tetrahydrofuran (40 mL) at 0° C. was treated with a mixture of tert-butanol (1.0 mL) and 3-oxopentanoic acid methyl ester (1.3 mL). The mixture was stirred at 0° C. for 45 minutes and then a solution of (4-chloromethylphenyl)pyrrolidin-1-ylmethanone (2.0 g) in tetrahydrofuran (10 mL) was added and the resulting mixture heated at 70° C. for 24 hours. The mixture was cooled to room temperature, diluted with water and the tetrahydrofuran removed under reduced pressure. The residue was extracted with ethyl acetate and the combined extracts washed with saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution and dried over magnesium sulfate. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the residue purified by column chromatography on silica gel, eluting with a mixture of ethyl acetate and cyclohexane (3:7 by volume) to afford title compound, 1.1 g.

Provenance & Evidence