Toluene → Benzofuran-3-ylmethanol

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

Diisobutylaluminium hydride in toluene (1.5M, 16.8 ml, 25.2 mmol) was added dropwise to a solution of methyl benzo[b]furan-3-carboxylate (2.02 g, 11.5 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (50 ml) at -75° C. The resulting solution was stirred at -75° C. for 30 minutes, the cooling bath removed and the mixture allowed to warm to room temperature. The reaction mixture was recooled to -40° C. and quenched by sequential addition of methanol (3 ml), water (1.5 ml) and 2M sodium hydroxide (1.5 ml). The mixture was allowed to warm up to produce a gel, which was filtered off and washed with dichloromethane (6×50 ml). The filtrate was evaporated to dryness, the residue redissolved in ether and the solution dried over magnesium sulphate. The solution was evaporated to afford the title compound (1.66 g, 98%) as an oil which crystallised on standing; δH (CDCl3) 1.61 (1H, br s, OH), 4.85 (2H, s, C H2OH), 7.25-7.35 (2H, m, ArH), 7.49 (1H, dd, J 7.8, 1.0 Hz, ArH), 7.61 (1H, s, 2-H), 7.67 (1H, m, ArH).

Provenance & Evidence