Potassium Hydroxide → Bis-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenylmethyl)acetic acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of 20.58 g (0.051 mol) of dimethyl bis-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenylmethyl)malonate in 50 mL of n-butanol was treated with a solution of 8.58 g (0.153 mol) of KOH in 50 mL H2O and heated at reflux overnight. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the residue mixed with H2O and acidified to pH 2 with dilute HCl. The mixture was extracted with EtOAc and the EtOAc washed with saturated NaCl. Drying over MgSO4 and removal of the solvent under reduced pressure left 9.24 g (55% yield) of the product as a solid, mp 191°-193° C. The structure was confirmed by NMR spectroscopy.

Provenance & Evidence