Toluene → Methyl 4-(4-phenoxyphenoxy)benzoate

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Reaction Steps

Methyl 4-(4-phenoxyphenoxy)benzoate is synthesized as follows. A mixture of 15.00 g (80.6 mmoles) of 4-phenoxyphenol, 130 ml of N,N-dimethylformamide and 75 ml of toluene is agitated under nitrogen atmosphere. Potassium t-butoxide (9.32 g, 80.6 mmoles) is added with vigorous stirring and the mixture is heated to reflux. An azeotrope of t-butanol and toluene (85 ml) is collected at temperatures of 120° C. to 135° C. and is discarded. The mixture is cooled to ambient temperature, and a solution of 14.59 g (80.6 mmoles) of methyl 4-nitrobenzoate in 30 ml of N,N-dimethylformamide is added over a period of 15 minutes with cooling in a water bath. The mixture is heated at 100° C. for 14 hours, cooled to 20° C., and quenched with 1500 ml of ice water. The precipitate is filtered, dried in air and dissolved in 500 ml of acetone. The solution is filtered to remove insolubles, and the filtrate is concentrated by evaporation and cooled to precipitate methyl 4-(4-phenoxyphenoxy)benzoate. The recovered product weighs 21.23 g (82 percent yield) and has a melting point of 114° C. as determined by DSC.

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