3-Methyl-2-butenoic acid → Chromanone

Participants

Reaction Steps

The amount of 10 g of 3,4-dimethoxyphenol and 7.8 g of 3,3-dimethyl acrylic acid were combined in a 125 ml. erlenmeyer flask and dissolved with the addition of 40 ml anhydrous ethyl ether. The ether was removed in vacuo and while the contents of the flask remained liquid, 50 gm of polyphosphoric acid was added. The flask and contents were placed on a steam bath and heated with stirring for 1 hour. At the end of 1 hour, 75 ml. of water was added and the contents stirred into solution for 5 minutes. The solution was allowed to cool and a substantial sticky precipitate formed. The aqueous layer was decanted and extracted with 100 ml. of ether. The ether extract was washed successively with 150 ml. of water, 100 ml. of 5% sodium carbonate and 100 ml. of saturated NaCl solution. The ether extract was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The sticky residue formed on cooling was dissolved in 300 ml. of chloroform and washed successively with 150 ml. of water, two 150 ml. portions of 5% sodium carbonate solution and 150 ml. of saturated NaCl solution. The chloroform solution was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The ethereal and chloroform extracts were combined and the solvents removed in vacuo leaving 16.17 gm of off-white crystalline chromanone.

Provenance & Evidence