Uses
2-Phenylacetic acid can be used as a pharmaceutical synthesis intermediate, such as as an intermediate compound for the neurological drug amitriptyline. Amitriptyline (also known as amitriptyline, iritriptyline, aminotricycloheptanine, etc.) is an important clinical drug that can be used to treat various mental illnesses such as anxiety or psychogenic depression, panic disorder, emotional tension, mental disorders, or gastrointestinal neurosis.
Synthesis
The preparation of 2-phenylethylbenzoic acid is as follows: 100 mmol of compound (I), 100 mmol of compound (II), 8 mmol of catalyst bis(cyanomethyl)palladium dichloride, 10 mmol of nitrogen-containing multidentate ligand, 180 mmol of oxidant bis(trifluoroacetic acid)iodobenzene, and 200 mmol of organic base dimethylaminopyridine were added to an appropriate amount of two-component organic solvent (a mixture of 1,4-dioxane and acetonitrile in a volume ratio of 1:3) at room temperature. The mixture was heated to 70 C and stirred at this temperature for 24 hours. After the reaction was complete, the mixture was filtered while hot, and the filtrate was allowed to cool naturally to room temperature. The pH was adjusted to neutral, and the mixture was washed 2-4 times with sufficient saturated sodium carbonate aqueous solution. The organic phases were combined, cooled to 2-6 C, and a solid precipitated. The solid was filtered and washed thoroughly with anhydrous ethanol, and then dried under vacuum to obtain white crystalline compound (III) 2-phenylethylbenzoic acid with a yield of 97.2%. HPLC analysis showed that its purity was 98.7%.
