O-Cresol → 1-(2-Bromoethoxy)-2-methylbenzene

Participants

Reaction Steps

2-Methyl-phenol (1 g, 9.25 mmol) in NaOH (aq) (3.24 mL, 12.96 mmol, 4M soln.) was treated with dibromoethane (2.74 mL, 31.7 mmol) and t-butylammoniumhydrogen sulfate (catalytic), and then placed in a Robbins™ oven at 99° C. for 72 hours. The pH was then adjusted to ˜8 with NaOH (4M aq. soln.) and the product extracted with CH2Cl2 (×3). The combined organic layer was washed with H2O (×2) and brine, dried over MgSO4. The resulting oil taken up in 4:1 hexane/EtOAc and passed through a plug of silica gel. The plug was then washed with 4:1 hexane/EtOAc and the filtrate concentrated to provide crude 2-bromo-1-(2-methylphenoxy)ethane.

Provenance & Evidence