Phenylacetic Acid → Tert-butyl 2-phenylacetate

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of 2-phenylacetic acid (12 g, 88 mmol) in tBuOAc (250 mL) in a 1 L round-bottomed flask was treated with perchloric acid, 70% redistilled (0.212 mL, 3.53 mmol), and stirred at room temperature for 20 hours. The solution was transferred very slowly to stirred mixture of saturated aqueous NaHCO3 and Et2O, which resulted in bubbling. The resulting layers were separated and the organic layer washed with saturated aqueous NaHCO3, dried over MgSO4, filtered, and concentrated to give tert-butyl 2-phenylacetate (11.6 g, 68% yield). 1H NMR (500 MHz, chloroform-d) δ 7.34-7.29 (m, 2H), 7.28-7.22 (m, 3H), 3.52 (s, 2H), 1.44 (s, 9H).

Provenance & Evidence