Phenol → Phenyl heptanoate

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

Heptanoic acid (180.9 g; 1.39 mol), phenol (180.69 g; 1.92 mol), toluene (216.5; 2.35 mol) and sulfuric acid (5.04 g; 0.0514 mol) were charged to a 2-liter, 3-necked round bottom flask equipped with a thermometer, a magnetic stirrer and an 8" Vigreux column equipped with a Dean-Stark trap. The reaction mixture was heated to 131° C. and maintained at that temperature for five hours to give 74 weight percent phenyl heptanoate. The reaction product was washed once with a solution of 0.08 mol Na2CO3 in 4.5 mol water. Phase separation occurred after approximately 20 minutes. The organic layer was fractionally distilled at atmospheric pressure using a 20-plate Oldershaw column to remove phenol and toluene. The remaining liquid was then distilled through a 10-plate Oldershaw column at 50 torr to give a center cut fraction of 154.4 g (54% yield) of pure phenyl heptanoate.

Provenance & Evidence