Furan → 2-(4-Fluorophenylmethyl)furan

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

To a 0° C. solution of furan (13.6 g, 0.20 mol) in a mixture of anhydrous ether (230 mL) and anhydrous THF (70 mL) under nitrogen was added a 2.5M solution of n-butyllithium in hexane (54.0 mL, 0.134 mol). The mixture was stirred at 0° C. for 1.5 hours and then transferred by cannula to a stirred -78° C. solution of 4-fluorobenzyl bromide (23.6 g, 0.125 mol) and tetrakis-(triphenylphosphine)palladium (O) (1.25 g, 0.001 mol) in anhydrous THF (200 mL). The transfer was made under nitrogen over a period of 30-40 minutes. The reaction mixture was stirred at ambient temperature overnight, saturated aqueous solution of ammonium chloride was added and the mixture extracted with ether. The ether layer was dried (MgSO4), concentrated in vacuo and the residue distilled at reduced pressure to give 2-(4-fluorophenylmethyl)furan as a colorless oil (17.89 g, 81% ). b.p. 57°-62° C. at 0.5-0.7 mm-Hg.

Provenance & Evidence