tert-Butyl chloroacetate

Chemical Properties

clear colorless to yellow liquid. Hydrolysis generates tert-butanol and chloroacetic acid.

Uses

tert-Butyl chloroacetate is used in the synthesis of imidazol-1-yl-acetic acid hydrochloride, cis-disubstituted aziridine ester via aza-Darzens reaction and 1,10-diaza-18-crown-6 based sensors bearing a coumarin fluorophore.

Uses

In the glycidic ester condensation.

Preparation

tert-Butyl chloroacetate synthesis: The tert-butanol was added to the mixture of chloroacetyl chloride and N,N-dimethylaniline, and the temperature was kept below 30°C. The reactant was poured into water, washed and dried, and then fractionated under reduced pressure. The fractions at 48-49°C (1.46kPa) were collected to obtain tert-butyl chloroacetate with a yield of 63%.

Safety Profile

A poison by ingestion. Moderately toxic by inhalation skin contact. S severe sluin and moderate eye irritant. When heated to decomposition it emits toxic vapors of Cl-.

Purification Methods

Check the NMR spectrum; if satisfactory then distil in a vacuum; if not then dissolve in Et2O, wash with H2O, 10% H2SO4 until the acid extract does not become cloudy when made alkaline with NaOH. Wash the organic layer again with H2O, then saturated aqueous NaHCO3, dry over Na2SO4, evaporate and fractionate it through a carborundum-packed column or a 6-inch Widmer column (p 11, see tert-butyl ethyl malonate for precautions to avoid decomposition during disillation). [Johnson et al. J Am Chem Soc 75 4995 1953, Baker Org Synth Coll Vol III 144 1944, Beilstein 2 III 444.]