Hydrochloric Acid → (1RS,3RS)-1,3-Di-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)indane-2-carboxylic acid

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Reaction Steps

Ethyl (1RS)-1,3-di-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-1-hydroxyindene-2-carboxylate. To dry magnesium turnings (0.25 g, 10 mmol) under an argon atmosphere was added a solution of 4-bromo-1,2-methylenedioxybenzene (2.1 g, 10 mmol) in 1:10 THF/Et2O (22 ml). The resulting solution was allowed to stir at room temperature for 2 h. During this time, additional THF (4 ml) was added. The resulting 3,4-methylenedioxyphenylmagnesium bromide was added to a solution of ethyl 3-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-1-oxoindene-2-carboxylate (0.50 g, 2 mmol) in 1:4 THF/Et2O (25 ml) under an argon atmosphere at 0° C. The resulting mixture was stirred at 0° C. for 15 min, at which time 1 M HCl (50 ml) was added. The phases were separated and the aqueous phase was extracted with Et2O. The combined organic extracts were washed with saturated aqueous NaCl and dried (MgSO4). The solvent was removed in vacuo, and the residue was purified by flash chromatography, eluting with 10% EtOAc/hexanes to afford the title compound as a yellow solid (0.29 g, 42%).

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