Sodium Hydroxide → 2-Methoxyphenethyl alcohol

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

Lithium aluminum hydride (21 g, 0.55 mol) was added to a solution of (2-methoxy-phenyl)-acetic acid methyl ester (90 g, 0.50 mol) in anhydrous tetrahydrofuran (500 mL) at 0° C. After stirred at 0° C. for 30 minutes, the mixture was treated with sodium hydroxide (5% aqueous solution, 180 g). The mixture was extracted three times with ethyl acetate (400 mL) and the combined organic layers were washed with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride, dried over sodium sulfate, filtered, and evaporated to dryness to give 2-(2-methoxy-phenyl)-ethanol (43 g, 0.28 mol, 57%), which was used directly in the next step.

Provenance & Evidence