Reaction SMILES: [CH:1]([C:3]1[CH:4]=[C:5]([CH:10]=[CH:11][CH:12]=1)[C:6]([O:8][CH3:9])=[O:7])=[O:2].[CH2:13]([Mg]Br)[CH2:14][CH2:15][CH2:16][CH2:17][CH2:18][CH3:19]>O1CCCC1>[OH:2][CH:1]([C:3]1[CH:4]=[C:5]([CH:10]=[CH:11][CH:12]=1)[C:6]([O:8][CH3:9])=[O:7])[CH2:13][CH2:14][CH2:15][CH2:16][CH2:17][CH2:18][CH3:19]
Reactant: COC(=O)c1cccc(C=O)c1
Reactant: CCCCCCC[Mg]Br
Solvent: C1CCOC1
Product: CCCCCCCC(O)c1cccc(C(=O)OC)c1
Temperature: -78 °C
Reaction time: 3 h
Yield: 69 %

Procedure:
A solution of methyl 3-formylbenzoate (2.0 g, 12.2 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (40 mL) was cooled to −78° C. under nitrogen. A solution of n-heptylmagnesium bromide in tetrahydrofuran (1 M; 12.2 mL, 12.2 mmol) was added dropwise over 30 min, and the reaction was stirred at −78° C. for 3 h. The reaction was quenched by addition of aqueous hydrochloric acid (1 M), and the mixture was extracted (×3) with ethyl acetate. Extracts were combined, dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and evaporated in vacuo. The crude material was purified on a Biotage™ 40 M column (silica), eluting with 10% ethyl acetate/hexane to give methyl (RS)-3-[1-hydroxyoctyl]benzoate (2.2 g, 69%) as a colourless oil. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ 7.98 (s, 1H), 7.91 (d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.53 (d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.39 (dd, J=7.8, 7.8 Hz, 1H), 4.65-4.71 (s, 1H), 3.89 (s, 3H), 2.33 (d, J=3.1 Hz, 1H), 1.62-1.80 (m, 2H), 1.18-1.41 (m, 10H), 0.85 (t, J=6.9 Hz, 3H). A solution of the secondary alcohol (2.0 g, 7.5 mmol) in dichloromethane (50 mL) was treated with silica gel (16 g) and pyridinium chlorochromate (3.2 g, 15.0 mmol), and the reaction was stirred at room temperature overnight. The reaction mixture was filtered through silica gel, and the residue was washed with dichloromethane. Combined filtrate and washings were evaporated in vacuo to give methyl 3-octanoylbenzoate (9.5 g, 86%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): δ 8.58-8.59 (m, 1H), 8.20-8.23 (m, 1H), 8.14-8.17 (m, 1H), 7.53-7.57 (m, 1H), 3.95 (s, 3H), 3.00 (t, J=7.3 Hz, 2H), 1.74 (tt, J=7.3, 7.3 Hz, 2H), 1.24-1.40 (m, 8H), 0.88 (t, J=6.9 Hz, 3H). A solution of the methyl ester (1.0 g, 3.8 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (30 mL), was treated with a solution of lithium hydroxide monohydrate (800 mg, 19.1 mmol) in water (7 mL). Methanol (7 mL) was then added, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 h. The reaction mixture was treated with aqueous HCl (1 M) until the pH was below 5, and was then extracted with ethyl acetate (×3). Organic extracts were combined, washed with saturated aqueous sodium chloride, dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and evaporated in vacuo, to give 3-octanoylbenzoic acid (919 mg, 97%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD): δ 8.59 (dd, J=1.7, 1.2 Hz, 1H), 8.18-8.24 (m, 2H), 7.61 (ddd, J=7.8, 7.8, 0.4 Hz, 1H), 3.05 (t, J=7.3 Hz, 2H), 1.71 (tt, J=7.3, 7.3 Hz, 2H), 1.27-1.41 (m, 8H), 0.90 (t, J=7.0 Hz, 3H). A mixture of the acid (919 mg, 3.7 mmol) and sodium bicarbonate (311 mg, 3.7 mmol) was treated with water (20 mL), and the reaction heated with sonication and stirred until most of the solids dissolved. Acetonitrile was added and the mixture was filtered (0.45 μm), and lyophilised to give sodium 3-octanoylbenzoate as a white solid (1.0 g, 100%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, D2O): δ 8.14 (s, 1H), 7.81 (d, J=7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.61 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.18 (dd, J=8.0, 7.8 Hz, 1H), 2.69 (t, J=6.8 Hz, 2H), 1.33 (tt, J=7.0, 7.0 Hz, 2H), 0.88-1.03 (m, 8H), 0.54 (t, J=7.0 Hz, 3H). 13C NMR (101 MHz, D2O): δ 203.93, 173.62, 137.25, 136.27, 133.92, 130.27, 128.59, 128.48, 38.58, 31.41, 28.82, 28.79, 24.25, 22.32, 13.60; LRMS (ESI): m/z 249 (M−Na++2H+); HPLC: 4 min.