Cornforth reagent → (1,1-Dimethyl-2-oxoethyl)carbamic acid benzyl ester

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

To a solution of ethyl 2-(benzyloxycarbonylamino)-2-methyl-propanoate (which may be prepared as described in Description 33) (4667 mg, 17.59 mmol) in toluene (100 mL) cooled to −78° C. was added diisobutyl aluminium hydride (1 M in toluene) (61.57 mL, 61.57 mmol) as a thin stream over approximately 2 minutes. The mixture was stirred at −78° C. over 30 minutes then allowed to warm to 0° C. and stirred over 1.5 hours. The reaction mixture was quenched by addition of a saturated solution of Rochelle's salt. The quenched mixture was stirred over 1 hour, then extracted into ether (3 times). The combined ethereal extracts were dried over magnesium sulphate, filtered and evaporated to a clear oil. The oil was dissolved in DCM (60 mL) and 4A molecular sieves (4 g) and pyridinium dichromate (16544.34 mg, 43.98 mmol) were added and the mixture stirred at room temperature overnight. The reaction mixture was filtered over kieselguhr and the filtrate evaporated to a dark brown oil. Purification by silica gel column chromatography (20% EtOAc in isohexane) yielded benzyl N-(1,1-dimethyl-2-oxo-ethyl)carbamate (D34) (1840 mg, 8.3164 mmol, 47.3% yield) as a clear oil;

Provenance & Evidence