Hydrochloric Acid → 4-Benzyl-4-hydroxy-2-ketoglutaric acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

Phenyl pyruvic acid (5.0 g, 30.5 mmol) and 12.1 g (91.4 mmol) of oxaloacetic acid were added to 25 mL of aqueous solution in which 13.8 g of potassium hydroxide (purity 85%) had been dissolved, and reacted at room temperature for 72 hours. The pH value of the reaction mixture was adjusted to 2.2 using concentrated hydrochloric acid, and the reaction mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate. An organic layer was washed with saturated aqueous NaCl solution, dried on magnesium sulfate anhydrate, and then concentrated. The concentrated residue was recrystallized from ethyl acetate and toluene to yield 2.8 g (11.3 mmol) of 4-phenylmethyl-4-hydroxy-2-ketoglutaric acid as crystal.

Provenance & Evidence