Potassium Hydroxide → 3-(4-Phenylphenyl)prop-2-enoic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

To a suspension of 3-biphenyl-4-yl-acrylic acid methyl ester (9.384 g, 39.38 mmol) in THF (120 ml) and MeOH (80 ml) was added 1N KOH (79 ml) and the mixture refluxed. After 3 h, heating was stopped. The reaction mixture was concentrated to about 50 ml, diluted with water (200 ml) and acidified with 2N HCl (80 ml). EtOAc (1000 ml) was added and the whole mixture heated to boiling to dissolve all solids. After cooling, the layers were separated and the organic layer washed with 1N HCl (2×70 ml), water (3×70 ml), brine (2×50 ml), dried over Na2SO4, filtered, concentrated and dried to give 3-biphenyl-4-yl-acrylic acid (7.393 g, 32.966 mmol, 84%) as a white solid, dec. 223-226° C. 1H NMR (DMSO-d6) δ 6.58 (d, 1H), 7.37-7.53 (m, 3H), 7.62 (d, 1H), 7.70-7.84 (m, 6H), 12.40 (s, 1H); mass spectrum [ES(−)], m/z 223 (M−H)−.

Provenance & Evidence