Potassium Hydroxide → 6-Mercapto-8-methylthiooctanoic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

11.9 grams (40.7 mmoles) of 6-acetylthio-8-methylthiooctanoic acid ethyl ester (XI) were added to a solution of 7.5 grams (133.7 mmoles) of potassium hydroxide in 100 ml of methanol and 5 ml of water and the mixture heated at reflux for 10 hours under a cover of nitrogen. After a further 10 hours at room temperature the solvent was removed in a vacuum, the residue taken up in 100 ml of 3N hydrochloric acid and extracted three times, each time with 100 ml of ethyl acetate. After drying the combined extracts with magnesium sulfate the solvent was removed in a vacuum. The short path distillation of the residue gave 7.1 grams (78% of theory) of 6-mercapto-8-methylthiooctanoic acid as a pale yellow oil having a boiling point of 150° C. to 170° C. at 0.5 mbar.

Provenance & Evidence