Trimethyl phosphite → Dimethyl 4-tert.-Butyl-2,6-dimethyl-3-hydroxybenzylphosphonate

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Reaction Steps

To 16.1 grams 6-tert.-butyl-3-chloromethyl-2,4-dimethylphenol dissolved in 40 ml. of dry n-heptane was added 9.55 grams of trimethyl phosphite. One-third of the trimethyl phosphite was initially added dropwise at room temperature, the remainder being added dropwise at 70°. The reaction mixture was then heated at reflux (97°) for ten hours and the residual white solid isolated by stripping off the volatiles by distillation at 50° to 60° at reduced pressure. The residue was triturated twice with petroleum ether and recrystallized, after clarification, from a solvent mixture of n-hexane and isopropanol yielding the desired product as white crystals melting at 146° to 148°. (compound 1)

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