2,5-Dibromophenylacetic acid

74533-21-4

203314-28-7

In a 500 mL four-necked reaction flask, 82 g of 2-(2,5-dibromophenyl)acetonitrile was added to 400 mL of aqueous 2 N sodium hydroxide, and the mixture was heated to 100 °C and refluxed. The reaction progress was monitored by TLC. After completion of the reaction, the mixture was cooled to room temperature and the pH was adjusted with 36% hydrochloric acid by slow dropwise addition to 8. The aqueous layer was separated by extraction with ethyl acetate. Subsequently, the pH of the aqueous layer was adjusted to 1-2 with 36% hydrochloric acid, at which point a solid precipitated. The off-white solid 2-(2,5-dibromophenyl)acetic acid was collected by filtration and dried to give 73 g in 83% yield.