Reaction Steps
Diisobutylaluminum hydride (4.6 ml, 4.62 mmol; 1M in CH2Cl2) was added at -65° C. to a solution of 13-carboxymethyl-dibenzo(a,c)fluorene (0.5 g, 1.54 mmol) in dichloromethane (10 ml). The reaction mixture was stirred for 3 h and the temperature maintained between -50° C. and -40° C. A white precipitate was obtained. The reaction mixture was treated with a mixture of acetic acid and water (1:1; 30 ml) and extracted with dichloromethane (3×60 ml). The organic layer was washed with saturated bicarbonate (50 ml), water (30 ml) and dried over MgSO4. The solvent was removed in vacuo to afford a crude solid. This crude solid was purified by flash chromatography using chloroform as the eluent. Compound (21) was obtained as a white solid which was washed with petrol (0.217 g, 48%); m.p. 167°-168° C.; (Found: C, 89.0; H, 5.39; C22H16O requires: C, 89.2; H, 5.41%); t.l.c. Rf (D) 0.26; Rf (E) 0.64; νmax (CH2Cl2) 3610 (free OH), 3490 (H bonded OH), 3060 (CH stretching), 2940, 2890 (CH stretching, alkyl), 1610, 1600, 1580 (aromatic rings) cm-1 ; λmax 366 (888), 338 (12728), 322 (14504), 266 (27232), 246 (31968) nm; δH (CDCl3, 200 MHz), 8.88-8.68 (3H, m, aromatic), 8.38 (1H, d, 3J=7.9 Hz, aromatic), 8.14-8.08 (1H, m, aromatic), 7.81-7.33 (7H, m, aromatic), 4.45 (2H, m, HaCH2 and Hc), 3.85 (1H, m, Hb, CH2), 1.64 (1H, S, OH), δC (CDCl3, 50 MHz), 146.7, 142.5, 139.4, 134.9, 130.9, 130.1, 128.7 (quaternary aromatic C's), 127.5, 126.8, 126.1, 125.9, 125.8, 124.7, 124.2, 124.1, 123.8, 123.4, 122.9 (aromatic CH's), 65.7 (CH), 50.0 (CH); m/z (EI) 296, 265.
