Cyclohexanone → 2,4,6-Trimethylbenzoic acid

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Reaction Steps

To a flask equipped with a stirrer, oxygen inlet and condenser were added mesitaldehyde (10.0 g, 67.6 mmol), 25 mL (0.242 mol) of cyclohexanone and 100 mg of azobisisobutyronitrile. Oxygen was bubbled in while the solution was stirred and maintained at 60°. After 45 hr the solution was mixed with 250 mL of water and 250 mL of methylene chloride; 20% aqueous potassium hydroxide was added dropwise until a pH of 8-9 was reached. The aqueous layer was separated and acidified with concentrated hydrochloric acid, after which the white solid product was collected by filtration, washed with water and air dried: 9.76 g (88% yield) of mesitoic acid.

Provenance & Evidence