Benzyl Bromide → 3-(Benzyloxy)-5-methylphenol

Participants

Reaction Steps

A 0° C. mixture of orcinol (10.0 g, 80.6 mmol) and 325 mesh potassium carbonate (12.25 g, 88.6 mmol) in DMF (100 mL) is treated dropwise with benzyl bromide (6.91 g, 40.4 mmol). The mixture was then warmed to rt and stirred for 20 hours under N2. The reaction is filtered, and the filtrate is acidified with 1 N HCl. The mixture is then diluted with Et2O and extracted with water. The organic layer is dried (Na2SO4), and the solvent is removed in vacuo to afford crude product that is absorbed on silica gel and purified by flash chromatography using 5/1 hexanes/ethyl acetate to afford 4.88 g (57%) of the title compound. Rf=0.40 (2/1 hexanes/EtOAc). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3); MS (ES+) m/z mass calculated for C14H14O2 214, found 215 (M+1, 100%).

Provenance & Evidence