Diethyl Succinate → HCID 12918688, compound

Participants

Reaction Steps

A clean, dry 500 ml 3-neck R.B. flask was equipped with a reflux condenser, mechanical stirrer, addition funnel, and nitrogen inlet. The flask was charged with 600 ml of ethanol (distilled from magnesium turnings and stored over type 3A molecular sieves) followed by 30.0 g (1.30 mol) of sodium, and the reaction mixture stirred and heated until all the sodium had dissolved. The temperature of the reaction mixture was then raised to the reflux point, and a mixture of 186.03 g (1.00 mol) of 2,4-dichlorobenzyl cyanide and 261.3 g (1.50 mol) of diethylsuccinate added at a rapid drop rate through the addition funnel. The reaction mixture was refluxed for 12 hours, then approximately 2/3 of the ethanol was distilled off, the reaction mixture refluxed for two additional hours, cooled to room temperature, and poured into 600 ml of ice water. The basic solution was extracted twice with 300 ml of ether, and then acidified with 6 N HCl. An oil formed, and the aqueous acid solution was extracted twice with 250 ml portions of ether. The ether extract was washed twice with water, dried (MgSO4), and the ether stripped to leave 156.61 g (50% yield) of product as a viscous red oil.

Provenance & Evidence