Sodium borohydride → (2-Chloro-5-methylpyridin-3-yl)methanol

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Reaction Steps

Sodium borohydride (0.65 g, 0.0167 moles) was added slowly to a well-stirred solution of 2-chloro-5-methylpyridine-3-carbaldehyde (1.3 g, 0.0084 moles) in methanol (20 ml) at 0° C. temperature over a period of 15 minutes. The reaction mass was further stirred for 2 hours at the same temperature. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the mass was quenched with water (25 ml). The mass was extracted with ethyl acetate (2×50 ml) and the layers separated. The organic layer was removed under reduced pressure. The residue so obtained was subjected to chromatographic purification on silica gel to give 2-chloro-3-hydroxymethyl-5-methylpyridine as a solid in 88 % yield.

Provenance & Evidence