Acetic Acid → 4'-Hydroxy-4-biphenylcarboxylic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of concentrated sulphuric acid (115 ml) and water (115 ml) was added dropwise to a stirred suspension of 4-cyano-4'-hydroxybiphenyl 39 (25.62 g, 131.4 mmol) in glacial acetic acid (400 ml). The mixture was heated under reflux for 48 hours, the cooled reaction mixture was then poured into water (600 ml) with stirring and the white precipitate filtered off. The aqueous filtrate was then washed with diethyl ether (4×70 ml); the combined extracts were then washed with water (50 ml), dried (MgSO4) filtered and evaporated to give a white solid, both crops of product were combined, dried thoroughly and recrystallised (glacial acetic acid) and dried in vacuo (P2O5, 0.30 mm Hg, 50° C., 5 hours).

Provenance & Evidence