((4-Bromobutoxy)methyl)benzene → [(Heptyloxy)methyl]benzene

Participants

Reaction Steps

Magnesium (2.4 g, 98 mmol) was added to a 250 ml flask and flame dried. Dry THF, 25 ml, and 1 ml of dibromoethane were then added. 1-Bromo-4-benzyloxy-butane 41 (12 g, 49.4 mmol) dissolved in 50 ml of dry THF was added dropwise and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature. After 1 hour, the reaction mixture is cooled in an ice-water bath and 90 mg of copper cyanide is added. After 10 minutes in an ice-bath, 4-fluorophenyl-glycidyl ether (5 g, 29.6 mmol) dissolved in 30 ml of dry THF is added slowly. The reaction is monitored by TLC (ethyl acetate:hexane 3:7). After 15 minutes, the reaction is quenched with saturated aqueous ammonium chloride, concentrated and partitioned between water-ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate layer is then washed with brine, dried over Na2SO4 and concentrated to give the desired benzyloxy-heptane 42. The structure was confirmed by 1H-NMR.

Provenance & Evidence