Hydrochloric Acid → 3-(3-Methoxyphenyl)-2-oxopropanoic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

m-Anisaldehyde (25.9 g), N-acetylglycine (15.2 g) and sodium acetate (7.8 g) were heated together under reflux in acetic anhydride (50 ml) for 3/4 hour. The mixture was allowed to cool, water (150 ml) was added and the mixture was filtered to give the crude azlactone (27.7 g) m.p. 145°-150°. Hydrolysis with boiling 1 N hydrochloric acid (450 ml) followed by cooling and ether extraction afforded 3-methoxyphenylpyruvic acid as a pale yellow oily solid (6.3 g).

Provenance & Evidence