Phthalide, reductive hydrolysis

Reductive hydrolysis of phthalides is achieved in good yield by catalytic hydrogenation on palladium-charcoal in presence of sodium hydroxide sol-... 

The first examples of a homogeneous reduction of this type were reported in 1971. Cobalt carbonyl was found to reduce anhydrides such as acetic anhydride, succinic anhydride and propionic anhydride to mixtures of aldehydes and acids. However, scant experimental details were recorded [94]. In 1975, Lyons reported that [Ru(PPh3)3Cl2] catalyzes the reduction of succinic and phthalic anhydrides to the lactones y-bulyrolaclone and phthalide, respectively [95], The proposed reaction sequence for phthalic anhydride is shown in Scheme 15.15. Conversion of phthalic anhydride was complete in 21 h at 90 °C, but yielded an equal mixture of the lactone, phthalide (TON = 100 TOF 5) and o-phthalic acid, which is presumably formed by hydrolysis of the anhydride by water during lactoniza-tion. Neither acid or lactone were further hydrogenated to any extent using this catalyst system, under these conditions. 

The present procedure is based upon the method of Reissert. Phthalide has also been prepared by reduction of phthalic anhydride, and by bromination of o-toluic acid followed by hydrolysis. ... 

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