m-Chloroperbenzoic acid → 3-(Benzyloxy)-4-methoxyphenol

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Reaction Steps

3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (9.9 g, 0.0343 mols), in small portions, is added to a stirred solution of 3-benzyloxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (201, prepared as described in Example 66) (7.57 g, 0.0313 mols) in dicloromethane (100 ml) over a thirty minute period With vigorous shirring. The reaction flask is fitted with a condensor and the contents is heated to reflux for six hours and monitored by TLC using 2:1 hexane-ethyl acetate as eluant. The reaction is filtered off the 3-chlorobenzoic acid (which precipitates out of solution) and the filtrate is washed with saturated sodium bicarbonate followed by water and dried in vacuo to an oil which eventually solidifies. The solid is subsequently dissolved in distilled methanol (80 ml) and heated to reflux under nitrogen. TLC using hexane-ethyl acetate as the eluant shows almost complete conversion after two hours and forty five minutes. The solvent is removed in vacuo no produce a dark oil which is redissolved in a small amount of ethyl acetate and purified by column chromatography on silica gel (2:1 hexane-ethyl acetate as eluant). The major fraction from the column is combined and concentrated in vacuo to a solid (4.68 g, 64.9%).

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