(4-chlorophenyl)-diphenylmethanol

Conditions: temp:0.00; pressure:0.00; stir:; See reaction.notes.procedure_details.

Procedure: A mixture of 2 parts of (p-chlorophenyl)diphenyl carbinol and 8 parts of malonic acid are heated at 170° for 31 hours. This mixture is cooled and then dissolved in hot ethanol, affording 3-p-chlorophenyl-3,3-diphenylpropionic acid. 1 Part of 3-(p-chlorophenyl)3,3-triphenylpropionic acid is then refluxed with 5 parts of thionyl chloride for 4 hours and the excess thionyl chloride is removed in vacuum to provide the crude 3-(p-chlorophenyl)3,3-diphenylpropionyl chloride. 9 Parts of this 3-(p-chlorophenyl)-3,3-triphenylpropionyl chloride are then reacted with 27.0 parts of 4-benzyl-4-hydroxypiperidine in the presence of 4 parts of triethylamine in benzene. The resulting amide is reduced with 5 parts of lithium aluminum hydride in ether at reflux for 2.5 hours. The reaction mixture is cooled and treated with 15% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution to decompose any unreacted lithium aluminum hydride. The reaction mixture is then filtered and washed with ether. The ether solution is evaporated to give an oil. This oil is then slurried in 10% HCl and extracted with ether. The aqueous phase which contains an insoluble oil is extracted with methylene chloride, and the methylene chloride extract dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. Evaporation of this methylene chloride solution gives a solid which is taken up in acetone and precipitated with ether which affords 1-[3-p-chlorophenyl)-3,3-diphenylpropyl]-4-benzyl-4-hydroxypiperidine hydrochloride having the following structural formula ##STR20## are heated at 170° for 31 hours This mixture is cooled