A 500 ml three neck flask was equipped with a mechanical stirrer, heating mantle and condenser. To the flask was added 25 g 2-hydroxy-7H-benzo[de]anthracene-7-one, 18 g powdered potassium carbonate, 25 g 2-ethylhexyl bromide and 250 g dimethylformamide (DMF). The mixture was heated to reflux. After seven hours, 4.5 g 2-ethylhexyl bromide was added and the mixture heated at reflux for an additional three hours. The mixture was then cooled to room temperature and 500 g deionized water was added. The solution was extracted twice with 200 g chloroform. The organic layers were combined and washed twice with 250 g water. The solvent was removed on a rotary evaporator, then the crude product was passed through a flash silica gel column using methylene chloride as the elutant. The product fractions were collected and the solvent removed using a rotary evaporator. The yield of 2-[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]-7H-benzo[de]anthracene-7-one was 28.5 g.
