Water → 3,7-Dimethyl-4-hydroxy-6-octen-1-ol

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Reaction Steps

Methyl 3,7-dimethyl-4-oxo-6-octenoate (68 g, 34 mmole) in ether (10 ml) is added to a mixture of lithium aluminum hydride (1.3 g, 34 mmole) and ether (150 ml) at 0°. After the addition is complete the mixture is allowed to warm to room temperature and stirred for 1 hour, after which it is cooled to 0° and carefully added to a 5% aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution (50 ml). The resulting mixture is treated with water (100 ml) and ethyl acetate (300 ml). The organic phase is separated, dried (Na2SO4) and the solvent is removed in vacuo to give a colorless oil (50.6 g, 94%). This material shows one spot on TLC (silica gel 50% ethyl acetate in hexane) and is not further purified.

Provenance & Evidence