Water → 4-Propoxybenzoic Acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

Methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (15.4 g: 101.2 mmol) was dissolved in 150 ml of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), and an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH/H2O: 7 g/15 ml) was added to the mixture. The resultant mixture was stirred until dissolving homogeneously. Next, 12.5 g (101.6 mmol) of n-propyl bromide was added thereto, and the reaction was carried out at a room temperature for 24 hours. The reaction mixture was poured into 1 L of an iced water and the resultant precipitate was collected by filtration. The obtained precipitate was dissolved in 300 ml of ethanol, and an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH/H2O: 5 g/100 ml) was added thereto. Thus obtained mixture was refluxed by heating for 1 hour, and water (the amount of the water: about 300 ml) was added thereto with removing ethanol (EtOH). After cooling to a room temperature, the transparent solution was acidified by adding a concentrated hydrochloric acid. The resultant white precipitate was filtered and recrystallized from toluene to give 17.5 g (97.2 mmol) of 4-n-propyloxybenzoic acid.

Provenance & Evidence