4-Bromotoluene → Ethyl 4,4,4-trifluoro-3-methyl-2-(4-methylphenyl)butanoate

Participants

Reaction Steps

Under argon, 196.9 mg (0.88 mmol) of palladium(II) acetate and 724.8 mg (1.84 mmol) of 2-dicyclohexylphosphino-2′-(N,N-dimethylamino)biphenyl were initially charged in 50 ml of anhydrous toluene. 43.8 ml (43.8 mmol) of a 1 M solution of lithium hexamethyldisilazide in THF were then added slowly to the reaction solution, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 10 min. The reaction solution was then cooled to −10° C., 7 g (38.0 mmol) of ethyl 4,4,4-trifluoro-3-methylbutanoate were added slowly and the mixture was stirred at −10° C. for 10 min. 5 g (29.2 mmol) of 4-bromotoluene, dissolved in 50 ml of toluene, were then added dropwise, and the reaction solution was warmed first to room temperature and then to 80° C. The mixture was stirred at this temperature for 2 h and then cooled to room temperature and stirred overnight. After the reaction had ended (monitored by TLC; mobile phase cyclohexane/dichloromethane 2:1), the reaction mixture was filtered through kieselguhr, the residue was washed repeatedly with ethyl acetate and dichloromethane and the combined filtrates were concentrated under reduced pressure. The crude product obtained was purified chromatographically on silica gel (mobile phase petroleum ether/dichloromethane 4:1→3:1). This gave 3.91 g (14.3 mmol, 48.8% of theory) of the title compound as a colorless liquid.

Provenance & Evidence