tert-Butanol → Heptafluoro-2-naphthol

Participants

Reaction Steps

For about 3.5 hours, a mixture of 25 g octafluoronaphthalene (PCR Inc.; Gainesville, Fla.), 12 g KOH, and 100 mL tertiary butyl alcohol was refluxed. Water was added, and the tertiary butyl alcohol was distilled from the reaction mixture. The residue remaining in the flask was acidified with HCl and the aqueous mixture was extracted three times with 75 mL dichloromethane. The combined extracts were washed twice with 150 mL distilled water, dried over MgSO4, and rotary evaporated to yield a semi-crystalline solid. Recrystallization from hot hexanes gave 18 g heptafluoro-2-naphthol (72% yield) as slightly tan colored crystals.

Provenance & Evidence