Boron trifluoride etherate → 2-Hydroxy-3-linoleyloxypropylbromide

A 500 ml round bottom flask was charged with epibromohydrin (5.8 g, 42 mmol), linoleyl alcohol (15 g, 56 mmol), a stir bar, and then flushed with nitrogen. Anhydrous DCM (250 ml) was added via cannula, followed by BF3.Et2O (0.53 ml, 4.2 mmol), and stirred at 40° C. for 3 hours. Progress of reaction was monitored by TLC to ensure no epoxide was remaining. The reaction mixture was transferred to a 500 ml separatory funnel with DCM (2×50 ml), washed with NaHCO3 (2×200 ml), water (200 ml), brine (200 ml), dried with MgSO4, and solvent evaporated. The crude product was purified using column chromatography on silica gel (300 g) with 5-15% ether gradient in hexanes to yield 12.6 g.