Ethyl 2,3-dibromo-3-phenylpropanoate

Cognate preparations. Phenylpropynoic acid. Place a solution of 88 g (84 ml, 0.5 mol) of ethyl cinnamate (Expt 6.137) in 50 ml of carbon tetrachloride in a 500-ml round-bottomed flask. Immerse the flask in ice and add 80 g (25.5 ml, 0.5 mol) of bromine from a separatory funnel slowly with frequent shaking. The halogen will disappear rapidly at first, but more slowly towards the end of the reaction no hydrogen bromide is evolved and the time of the addition is about 20-25 minutes. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 hour, pour the solution into a large evaporating dish and permit the excess of bromine and the carbon tetrachloride to evaporate spontaneously in the fume cupboard. The crude ethyl 2,3-dibromo-3-phenylpropanoate will remain as a solid cake this... 

ABSTRACT The gas-solid halogenation and hydrohalogenation using micro-crystalline cyclodextrin complexes are found to be efficient for production of the optical active halides of ethyl trans-cinnamate in moderate optical yields On exposure to HBr at 2QOC for 15-20 hr, the cinnamate in solid a- and S-cyclodextrin complexes yields ethyl R-(+)-3-bromo-3-phenylpropanoate in 46% e.e., and S-(-)-enantiomer in 31% e.e., respectively. No addition nor substitution products are obtained with HCl vapor at 0-50°C for 15-65 hr. Bromination of the B-cyclodextrin complex results in the formation of optical active ethyl erz/t/zrc>-2,3-dibromo-3-phenylpropanoate, while chlorination gives the optical active mixture of trans and cis addition products, ethyl erythro- and threo-2,3-di-chloro-3-phenylpropanoates in 60-80% yields. Mechanism of chiral induction in the present gas-solid reaction has been proposed on the basis of the crystal structure of the complex. 

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