2-Bromophenol → 1-Bromo-2-(methoxymethoxy)benzene

The oil was removed from 4.5 g (60% in oil, 112 mmol, Aldrich) of sodium hydride dispersion by three 20-mL washes with hexane then the residue was covered with 75 mL of dimethylformamide (Burdick and Jackson). The resulting mixture was heated to about 50° and 18.1 g (105 mmol, Aldrich) of 2-bromophenol was added dropwise over 15 minutes. Vigorous gas evolution was observed. The reaction was stirred for an additional 30 minutes, and the resulting gray-brown solution was cooled to 0°. Bromomethyl methyl ether (9.6 mL, 117 mmol, Aldrich) was added dropwise over 15 minutes. The reaction mixture was stirred for 1 hour at 0°, then at room temperature for 16 hours. The resulting slurry was partitioned between 200 mL of 1 M aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and 150 mL of 4:1 hexane/diethyl ether. The aqueous layer was separated and extracted with an additional 100 mL of 4:1 hexane/diethyl ether. The organic extracts were combined, washed with two 200-mL portions of water, dried (magnesium sulfate) and concentrated in vacuo to give 22.2 g (102 mmol, 97%) of title compound as a pale yellow liquid.