2-Methoxy-5-(trifluoromethoxy)benzaldehyde → 2-Methoxy-5-(trifluoromethoxy)benzyl alcohol

Participants

Reaction Steps

Dissolve 2-methoxy-5-trifluoromethoxy-benzaldehyde (9.0 g, 40.9 mmol) in MeOH (100 mL) and treat with sodium borohydride (1.45 g, 38.3 mmol). Stir at RT for 1 h., then carefully quench with 1N HCl to pH 3. Concentrate, then extract the aqueous mixture with CH2Cl2 (3×100 mL). Combine the organic phases and wash with saturated NaHCO3 (100 mL) and brine (100 mL). Dry the organic layer, then filter, and concentrate. Purify the crude material by flash chromatography using a linear gradient of 100% hexanes to 40% EtOAc/hexanes to give (2-methoxy-5-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl)-methanol (6.86 g, 75%) as a colorless oil. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3) δ 7.19 (m, 1H), 7.10 (dd, 1H, J=2.9, 8.8 Hz), 6.83 (d, 1H, J=8.8 Hz), 4.66 (d, 2H, J=6.4 Hz), 3.85 (s, 3H), 2.21 (t, 1H, J=6.4 Hz).

Provenance & Evidence