Water → 1-(3,4,5-Trimethoxybenzyl)-3-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylmethyl)-2-oxopyrrolidine

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Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

Combine 1-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)-2-oxopyrrolidine (1.76 g, 6.63 mmol) and tetrahydrofuran (10 mL). Cool to −78° C. using a dry-ice/acetone bath. Add dropwise a solution of sec-butyllithium (5.10 mL, 1.3 M in hexane, 6.63 mmol). After 45 minutes, slowly add a solution of 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzyl bromide (1.58 g, 6.63 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (5 mL). After 5 hours, add water (10 mL) and warm to ambient temperature. Separate the layers and extract the aqueous layer three times with ethyl acetate. Dry the combined organic layers over Na2SO4, filter, and evaporate in vacuo to give a residue. Chromatograph the residue on silica gel eluting with 1/1 ethyl acetate/hexane to give the title compound: Rf=0.35 (silica gel, 1/1 ethyl acetate/hexane).

Provenance & Evidence