Formaldehyde → 4-Butoxy-2-(2-hydroxyethyl)benzoic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of 4-butoxy-2-methylbenzoic acid (2.5 g) in THF (15 mL) was added dropwise to a solution of LDA (freshly prepared from diisopropylamine (4.86 g) and n-butyllithium (32 mL; 1.5 M in hexane)) in THF (50 mL) at −78° C. After 10 minutes, paraformaldehyde (1.44 g) was added, and the mixture was allowed slowly to warm to room temperature. After 4 hours, water (10 mL) was added, and the volatile organic constituents were removed in a rotary evaporator. The residue was partitioned between water and diethyl ether. The aqueous phase was mixed with dichloromethane and cautiously acidified with hydrochloric acid at 0° C. Concentration of the organic phase afforded the desired product with the molecular weight of 238.29 (C13H18O4); MS (ESI): 239 (M+H+).

Provenance & Evidence