Methanol → Methyl 3,5-Dihydroxybenzoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (106 g, 0.69 mol), 1200 ml of methanol and 6 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid is added to a 2L, three-necked round-bottom flask equipped with a Soxhlet extraction apparatus, the thimble of the Soxhlet being packed with 4Å molecular sieves. The solution is stirred and heated at reflux for 24 hours and after removal of the methanol from the reaction solution under reduced pressure, the powder residue is washed with water and recrystallized from water to yield 87 percent of white, needle-like crystals: mp 167°-167.5° C.

Provenance & Evidence