Dimethyl malonate → Methyl 4-cyano-3-fluoro-2-methylphenylacetate

Participants

Reaction Steps

Combined 4-bromo-2-fluoro-3-methylbenzonitrile (2 g, 9.34 mmol), dimethyl malonate (12.28 mL, 107 mmol), potassium carbonate (1.937 g, 14.02 mmol) and potassium hydrogencarbonate (1.403 g, 14.02 mmol). Purged with nitrogen for 1 min and then tri-tert-butylphosphonium tetrafluoroborate (0.030 g, 0.103 mmol), and bis(dibenzylidineacetone)palladium (0) (0.027 g, 0.047 mmol) were added. The reaction was placed in a pre-heated oil bath (170° C.). After 1 hour the mixture was cooled to ambient temperature and diluted with EtOAc (80 mL). The EtOAc layer was decanted and passed through a plug of Celite® (˜7 cm wide and 1.5 cm thick). The chunky dark precipitate that was left in the flask was diluted with additional EtOAc portions and sonicated until a fine suspension resulted. The EtOAc triturates were also passed through the Celite® plug and then concentrated in vacuo at ˜40° C. and then at 90° C. for 45 minutes to give a residue which was purified using flash column chromatography to give the title compound (1.05 g, 5.07 mmol, 54.2%) as a clear colorless oil. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CHLOROFORM-d) δ ppm 2.17 (d, J=2.27 Hz, 3H) 3.63 (s, 3H) 3.91 (s, 2H) 7.29 (d, J=8.08 Hz, 1H) 7.71 (t, J=7.33 Hz, 1H).

Provenance & Evidence