5-Methoxytetralone → 5-Methylnaphthalen-1-ol

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

5-Methoxy-1-tetralone (5) (4 g, 22.6 mmol) was dissolved in 50 mL anhydrous diethyl ether, stirred, and cooled down on ice to 0° C. Ethylmagnesium bromide (19 mL, 56.8 mmol) was added dropwise to the solution, producing copious precipitation. The mixture was then heated to reflux and stirred for 10 h. After cooling, cold water was added slowly to the reaction mixture, which was then extracted with diethyl ether three times. The organic layer was evaporated to afford crude product 6. Without purification, zinc chloride (15 g, 114 mmol) was added to a solution of 6 in benzene (35 mL), then concentrated hydrochloride acid (12 mL) was added to the solution at room temperature. The reaction mixture was heated to reflux for 5 h, cooled, extracted with diethyl ether three times, and the organic layer was evaporated to afford crude product. Purification by column chromatography gave 7 (2 g). To a solution of 7 (2 g) in triglyme (15 mL) was added 10% Pd/C (2 g) and the mixture was heated to reflux for 3 days. After cooling, diethyl ether was added to the mixture and it was filtered on Celite, then washed with diethyl ether to provide compound 8. 50% yield; 1H NMR δ 1.37 (3H, t, J=7.8 Hz, CH3CH2—), 3.10 (2H, q, J=7.8 Hz, CH3CH2—), 4.01 (3H, s, OCH3), 6.82 (1H, d, J=7.8 Hz, H-2), 7.36-7.44 (3H, m, H-3, 6, 7), 7.64 (1H, d, J=8.7 Hz, H-4), 815 (1H, d, J=8.4 Hz, H-8).

Provenance & Evidence