A process for preparing an alkyl phenylglycolic acid is disclosed. It follows the sequence of condensing a substituted acetaldehyde with mandelic acid to provide a 5-phenyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-one, which is condensed with an alkyl ketone or aldehyde to provide a 5-(1-hydroxyalkyl)-5-phenyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-one, which is dehydrated to a 5-(1-alkenyl)-5-phenyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-one. The 5-(1-alkenyl)-5-phenyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-one may be hydrolyzed and reduced to an &agr;-alkylphenylglycolic acid or the hydrolysis and reduction steps may be reversed. The process enables the production of single enantiomers of cyclohexylphenylglycolic acid (CHPGA). An analogous process for racemic CHPGA is disclosed employing racemic mandelic acid and acetone. Novel intermediates in the process are also disclosed.
本发明揭示了一种制备烷基苯基
乙醇酸的方法。该方法的步骤为:首先将取代
乙醛与
苯甲酸缩合,得到5-苯基-1,3-二氧杂环戊-4-酮,然后将其与烷基酮或醛缩合,得到5-(1-羟基烷基)-5-苯基-1,3-二氧杂环戊-4-酮,随后进行脱
水反应,得到5-(1-烯基)-5-苯基-1,3-二氧杂环戊-4-酮。可以将5-(1-烯基)-5-苯基-1,3-二氧杂环戊-4-酮
水解还原,得到α-烷基苯基
乙醇酸,也可以将
水解还原步骤反转。该方法能够生产
环己基苯基
乙醇酸(CHPGA)的单对映体。本发明还揭示了一种类似的方法,用于制备外消旋的CHPGA,该方法采用外消旋的
苯甲酸和
丙酮。同时还揭示了该方法中的新型中间体。