A frequently used chiral reagent for the determination of enantiomeric purity of chiral alcohols and amines' is a-methoxy-a-(trifluoromethy1) phenylacetic acid, also known as Mosher's acida2 This compound has been syn-thesized by reaction of a, a, a- trifluoroacetophenone (1) with sodium cyanide in 1, Zdimethoxyethane (DME) followed by alkylation with dimethyl sulfate to give the nitrile 2 and finally hydrolysis of%,, first to the ...
