Boron trifluoride etherate → 2-Hydroxy-4,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

In 10 g of ethyl acetate were suspended 2.0 g of 2,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid (1a) and 1.45 g of NaBr in a stream of argon, to which 4.0 g of BF3.Et2O was then added dropwise at 25° C., followed by heat stirring at 40° C. for 3 hours. The reaction mixture was cooled with ice, to which 10 mL of water was then added dropwise at 10° C., followed by dropwise adding 7.5 g of a 25% (w/w) sodium hydroxide aqueous solution. Thereto was further added 10 mL of water before stirring, followed by filtering off insoluble inorganic matter. To the separated aqueous layer was dropwise added 3.94 g of 35% hydrochloric acid, followed by stirring for 10 minutes. The precipitated crystal was collected by filtration and washed with water. The resultant crystal was then dried under reduced pressure at 60° C. to provide 1.7 g of 2-hydroxy-4,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid (2a) at a yield of 91%.

Provenance & Evidence