Water → Methyl 5-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylate

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of 5-fluoroindole (5 g, 37.0 mmol) in DMF (40 mL) was treated at 0° C. with trifluoroacetic anhydride (6.1 mL, 42.6 mmol). After 30 min, the reaction was poured into water and the resulting precipitate collected by filtration, washed with water, then dried in vacuo. The solid was then dissolved in 10% aqueous NaOH (200 mL) and heated at reflux for 1 h. The reaction mixture was then cooled, washed with dichloromethane and acidified with aqueous HCl. The resulting white precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water, taken up in dichloromethane, washed with water, dried (MgSO4) and evaporated in vacuo. The resulting material (5 g, 75%) was dissolved in methanol (80 mL) and treated with concentrated sulphuric acid (2 mL) then heated at reflux overnight. The reaction was cooled and the resulting precipitate collected, washed with water and evaporated in vacuo to give 5-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester as a peach-coloured solid (4.5 g, 83%).

Provenance & Evidence