Hydrochloric Acid → 3-Amino-2-methylbenzoic acid methyl ester

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

40 g of methyl 2-methyl-3-nitrobenzoate was dissolved in 120 ml of methanol, and 157 g of concentrated hydrochloric acid was added thereto. Then, 36.8 g of iron powder was gradually added while maintaining the mixture at a temperature of not higher than 60° C. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 4 hours and then poured into 1 liter of ice water. The solution was neutralized with sodium carbonate and extracted with chloroform (after filtering off insolubles). The extract was washed with a saturated sodium chloride aqueous solution and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. Then, the solvent was distilled off to obtain 27.8 g of the desired product as an oily substance.

Provenance & Evidence