Cycloheptanone → 1-{4-[1-Ethyl-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methyl-phenyl)-propyl]-2-methyl-phenylethynyl}-cycloheptanol

Participants

Reaction Steps

n-Butyllithium (1.59 M solution in hexane, 5.4 mL, 8.59 mmol) was added to a solution of 4-[1-ethyl-1-(4-ethynyl-3-methyl-phenyl)-propyl]-2-methyl-phenol (Example 1-(3); 1.00 g, 3.42 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (15 mL) in a nitrogen atmosphere at 0° C., and the mixture was stirred for 15 minutes. Then, cycloheptanone (0.81 mL, 6.87 mmol) was added to the reaction mixture, which was stirred at 0° C. for one hour, heated to room temperature and further stirred for one hour. The reaction mixture was then poured into a saturated aqueous ammonium chloride solution, followed by extraction with ethyl acetate. The organic layer was concentrated under reduced pressure. The resulting residue was purified by silica gel chromatography (hexane:ethyl acetate=90:10 to 50:50) to give the target compound as a colorless oil (829 mg, 60%).

Provenance & Evidence