2-(Hydroxymethyl)-4-methylpentanoic acid → 4-Methyl-2-methylene valeric acid

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

2-(Hydroxymethyl)-4-methylpentanoic acid (8.7 g) is heated with 10 drops of 85% phosphonic acid in a Wood's metal bath at 220° C. for 20 minutes. A distillation head is attached and the pressure is slowly decreased to 60 mm while the temperature is increased to 270° C. Product starts to distill and the pressure is further decreased to 10 mm. The vapor temperature varies between 180° and 190° C. The yield of the title compound as distillate is 7.0 g.

Provenance & Evidence