2-Naphthol → 3H-Naphtho[2,1-b]pyran

Participants

Reaction Steps

Acidic alumina (20 grams) was added to a solution of 2-naphthol (4.2 grams, 0.03 moles) and 1,1-Dicyclopropylpropyn-1-o1 (3.08 grams, 0.0226 moles) in toluene (30 cc). The mixture was boiled under reflux for three hours and the alumina removed by filtration. The filtrate was washed sequentially with a dilute (10 percent) sodium hydroxide solution and water. The organic layer was extracted with diethyl ether (2×50 cc), dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, and filtered. The filtrate was evaporated under reduced pressure leaving a brown oil which was chromatographed on silica gel using petroleum (b.p. 60°-80° C.) as the eluant. The fraction which exhibited a reversible change from colorless to yellow on exposure to the flash from the flash gun of Example 2 was collected. Petroleum solvent was removed under reduced pressure leaving as a colorless oil 0.3 grams of 2,2-Dicyclopropyl- [2-H-2,1b] naphthopyran (i.e., graphic formula III).

Provenance & Evidence