Methyl iodide → 2-(Cyclopropyl-methoxy-methyl)-7-methoxybenzofuran

Reaction equation

[H-].[Na+].[CH:3]1([CH:6]([C:8]2[O:9][C:10]3[C:16]([O:17][CH3:18])=[CH:15][CH:14]=[CH:13][C:11]=3[CH:12]=2)[OH:7])[CH2:5][CH2:4]1.I[CH3:20]>O1CCCC1>[CH:3]1([CH:6]([O:7][CH3:20])[C:8]2[O:9][C:10]3[C:16]([O:17][CH3:18])=[CH:15][CH:14]=[CH:13][C:11]=3[CH:12]=2)[CH2:4][CH2:5]1

Participants

Procedure

To a stirred suspension of sodium hydride (60% dispersion in mineral oil, 0.52 g) in tetrahydrofuran (60 ml) under an atmosphere of nitrogen was added slowly a solution of cyclopropyl-(7-methoxybenzofuran-2-yl)-methanol (1.88 g) in tetrahydrofuran (15 ml). After stirring for 5 minutes, iodomethane (1.6 ml) was added and the mixture concentrated in vacuo. The residue was partitioned between ethyl acetate (100 ml) and water (100 ml), the organic layer washed with water (100 ml), separated, dried over magnesium sulfate, filtered and concentrated in vacuo. Purification by flash chromatography on silica eluting with dichloromethane afforded the title compound as a yellow gum (1.62 g).