Ethyl Acetate → 2-methoxyfluoren-9-one

Participants

Reaction Steps

A solution of 2-hydroxyfluorenone (5 g, 25 5 mmol) in 500 mL methylene chloride was charged with 100 mL solution of 1N NaOH (4 g, 100 mmol), a solution of p-methyl tosylate (9.5 g, 51 mmol) in 200 mL of water and tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate (0.2 g, catalytic) at room temperature. The reaction was monitored by TLC (silica, 25% ethyl acetate in hexane). The reaction mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature, the layers were separated. The organic layer was dried over MgSO. and evaporated. Short path chromatography of the residual solid (silica, 5% ethyl acetate in hexane) afforded 3.8 g (71.0%) of the methylated product.

Provenance & Evidence