1-Bromo-3-chloropropane → Methyl [3-(3-chloropropoxy)phenyl]acetate

Participants

Reaction Steps

Methyl 3-hydroxyphenylacetate (87 g, 0.52 mol) was dissolved in acetone (500 mL). 1-Bromo-3-chloropropane (55 mL, 0.56 mol) was added, followed by potassium carbonate (73 g, 0.53 mol) and acetone (100 mL). The reaction was heated at reflux. After 24 hours, more 1-bromo-3-chloropropane (5 mL, 50 mmol) was added and the reaction refluxed for a further 24 hours. The mixture was cooled, filtered and rotary evaporated. The product was purified by passage over a short column of silica gel (650 g: 135 mm diameter column) eluted with hexane, and 30% ethyl acetate in hexane, to afford methyl 3-(3-chloro-propoxy)-phenylacetate (120 g, 95%) as an oil. 1H NMR (CDCl3) δ 7.25 (1H, dd), 6.93-6.85 (3H, m), 4.16 (2H, t), 3.79 (2H, t), 3.73 (3H, s), 3.62 (2H, s), 2.28 (2H, m).

Provenance & Evidence