5-Nitro-2-pentanone is prepared by the reaction of nitromethane and methyl vinyl ketone. The specific synthesis steps are as follows:
Methyl vinyl ketone (4. 17ml, 0.05 moles), nitromethane (24. 4ml, 0.45 moles) and THF (250ml) were mixed and stirred together under nitrogen. Potassium fluoride on alumina (lOg) was added and the mixture stirred for 2 hours at ambient temperature. The reaction was filtered and the filtrate was evaporated to give crude 5-nitro-2- pentanone as a pale yellow oil (6. 11g, 93%). Batches of crude 5-nitro-2-pentanone (total 29.7g) were combined and purified by vacuum distillation (bp 57-75°C/0. 3 mmHg) to give 5-nitro-2-pentanone as a pale yellow oil (17.7g, 60% recovery). 1H NMR (CDC13) 8 2.18 (s, 3H, CH3-CO), 2.25 (dt, 2H, CH2), 2.62 (t, 2H, CH2- CO), 4.44 (t, 2H, CH2-N02).
