Nitric Acid → 2-(4-Nitrophenyl)butyric acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of concentrated nitric acid (32 mL) and concentrated sulfuric acid (32 mL) were cooled in an ice salt bath. Solid 2-phenylbutyric acid (16.42 g, 100 mmol) was added in small portions maintaining the solution temperature below 10° C. The reaction was warmed to room temperature and allowed to stir for 1 hour. The product was isolated by pouring the reaction mixture onto 150 mL of crushed ice, filtering the white solid and recrystallizing from EtOH to give 14.5 g (69%) of the product as white crystals.

Provenance & Evidence