1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane → 4-(4-Tert-butylphenyl)-4-oxobutanoic acid

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Reaction Steps

Aluminum chloride powder (80.0 g, 600 mmol) was added in portions to a stirred mixture of tert-butylbenzene (40.0 g, 300 mmol) and succinic anhydride (26.7 g, 267 mmol) and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (100 mL). After all the aluminum chloride had been added, the mixture was poured into a mixture of ice (500 mL) and concentrated hydrochloric acid (100 mL). The organic layer was separated, washed with water (500 mL) and the solvent distilled off. Solid residue was dissolved in hot 15% aqueous solution of sodium carbonate (1000 mL), filtered, cooled and the acid was precipitated with hydrochloric acid (acidified to pH=1). The crude acid was filtered, dried on air and recrystalised from benzene (500 mL) to give 4-(4-tert-butyl-phenyl)-4-oxo-butyric acid as colorless crystals.

Provenance & Evidence