CID 406 → Dimethyl-2-oxo-3-phenylpropyl phosphonate

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of 6.2 g (50 mmoles) dimethyl methylphosphonate (Aldrich) in 125 ml dry tetrahydrofuran was cooled to -78° in a dry nitrogen atmosphere. To the stirred phosphonate solution was added 21 ml of 2.37 M n-butyllithium in hexane solution (Alfa Inorganics, Inc.) dropwise over a period of 18 minutes at such a rate that the reduction temperature never rose above -65°. After an additional 5 minutes stirring at -78°, 7.5 g (50.0 mmole) methyl phenylacetate was added dropwise at a rate that kept the reaction temperature less than -70° (20 minutes). After 3.5 hours at -78°, the reaction mixture was allowed to warm to ambient temperature, neutralized with 6 ml acetic acid and rotary evaporated (water aspirator) to a white gel. The gelatinous material was taken up in 75 ml water, the aqueous phase extracted with 100 ml portions of chloroform (3×), the combined organic extracts were backwashed (50 cc H2O), dried (MgSO4), and concentrated (water aspirator) to a crude residue and distilled, b.p. 134°-5° (<0.1 mm) to give 3.5 g (29% dimethyl 2-oxo-3-phenylpropylphosphonate (2a).

Provenance & Evidence