Isopropanol → (3-Ethoxy-4-methoxy-phenyl)-(3-methoxy-phenyl)-methanol

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A stirred mixture of 4-bromo-2-ethoxy-1-methoxy-benzene (1.88 g, 8.1 mmol) and dry THF (15 mL) was cooled to −78° C., evacuated and refilled with nitrogen for 10 cycles. To this clear solution was slowly added n-butyllithium (3.3 mL, 8.1 mmol) and stirred for 20 min. Then a mixture of 3-methoxy-benzaldehyde (1.01 g, 7.4 mmol) in dry THF (10 mL) was added and stirred for 1 hour at −78° C. The mixture was quenched with isopropanol (3.4 mL, 44 mmol) and added water (10 mL). The mixture was extracted with EtOAc (3×50 mL). The combined organic phases were washed with water (2×50 mL), dried over MgSO4 and concentrated to oil, which was purified by flash column chromatography (EtOAc/Hexane) to give (3-ethoxy-4-methoxy-phenyl)-(3-methoxy-phenyl)-methanol as an oil (1.92 g, 90% yield): 1H NMR (CDCl3) δ 1.44 (t, J=7 Hz, 3H, CH2CH3), 2.17 (d, J=4 Hz, 1H, OH), 3.79 (s, 3H, OCH3), 3.85 (s, 3H, OCH3), 4.07 (q, J=7 Hz, 2H, CH2CH3), 5.76 (d, J=4 Hz, 1H, CH), 6.78-7.28 (m, 7H, Ar). The product was used in the next step without further purification.

Provenance & Evidence