July 1998
SYNTHESIS
1031
the starting phenol was converted (TLC control, ca. 90 min); the mix-
ture was then cooled to r.t. The cooled solution was poured into 4 M
HCl (200 mL) and stirred for 15 min, the product was extracted with
CH Cl (2 × 150 mL). The combined organic extracts were washed
4-Bromo-2,6-diformylphenol (2d):
This preparation closely followed the preparation of 2a, starting from
p-bromophenol (6.77 g, 37.3 mmol) and hexamethylenetetramine
(11.17 g, 79.6 mmol) in anhyd TFA (50 mL), but utilized a different
workup procedure. After refluxing the mixture for 24 h, the mixture
was poured into 4 M HCl (300 mL), and left to crystallize overnight.
The resulting yellow crystals were collected by filtration, dried and
2
2
with 4 M HCl (2 × 200 mL), sat. brine (200 mL), then dried (Na SO )
2
4
and the solvent removed in vacuo. The yellow residue was purified by
column chromatography (silica gel, CH Cl /petroleum ether 2:1) to
2
2
remove baseline impurities. After evaporation 1a was isolated as a
recrystallized (EtOH/H O). The resulting yellow needles were fil-
2
1
9
pale yellow oil; yield: 3.52 g (29%).
tered off, and dried in a vacuum oven at 70°C to give pure 2d; yield:
1
9
H NMR (CDCl ): δ = 10.87 (s, 1H, -OH), 9.89 (s, 1H, -CHO), 7.58
3.71 g (41%); mp 136°C (lit. mp 137–138°C).
3
1
(
dd, 1H, J = 3 Hz, J = 9 Hz, Ar-H6), 7.51 (d, 1H, J = 3 Hz, Ar-H4),
H NMR (CDCl ): δ = 11.52 (s, 1H, -OH), 10.16 (s, 2H, -CHO), 8.03
1
2
3
6
.94 (d, 1H, J = 9 Hz, Ar-H3), 1.28 [s, 9H, -C(CH ) ].
(s, 2H, Ar-H).
3
3
1
3
13
C NMR (CDCl ): δ = 196.94 (-CHO), 159.55 (arom. C-1), 142.76
C NMR (CDCl ): δ = 190.81 (-CHO), 162.25 (arom. C-1), 141.92
3
3
(
arom. C-4), 134.69 (arom. C-5), 129.76 (arom. C-3), 120.21 (arom.
(arom. C-3,5), 139.75 (arom. C-2,6), 124.60 (arom. C-4).
MS (EI): m/z (%) = 228 (M , 45).
+
C-2), 117.19 (arom. C-6), 33.91 [-C(CH ) ], 31.07 [-C(CH ) ].
MS (EI): m/z (%) = 178 (M , 35).
3
3
3 3
+
2,6-Diformyl-4-nitrophenol (2e):
4-Nitrophenol (3.53 g, 25.4 mmol) and hexamethylenetetramine
4
-tert-Butyl-2,6-diformylphenol (2a); Typical Procedure:
(10.89 g, 77.7 mmol) were dissolved in anhyd TFA (65 mL) under dry
4
-tert-Butylphenol (5.14 g, 34.2 mmol) and hexamethylenetetramine
N , and the resulting yellow solution refluxed for 7 d. The orange so-
2
(9.60 g, 68.5 mmol) were dissolved in anhyd TFA (60 mL) under N2,
lution was poured into 4 M HCl (300 mL) and extracted with CH Cl2
2
and the resulting yellow solution was refluxed for 24 h (color change
to orange). The mixture was poured into 4 M HCl (200 mL) and
stirred for 10 min, after which it was extracted with CH Cl (2 × 150
(4 × 75 mL). The combined organic extracts were washed with 4 M
HCl (200 mL), sat. brine (200 mL) and then dried (Na SO ). Evapo-
2
4
ration of the solvent gave an orange residue, which was redissolved
in CH Cl and filtered through a short silica gel column (5% MeOH/
2
2
mL). The combined organic extracts were washed with 4 M HCl (2 ×
00 mL), water (200 mL), sat. brine (200 mL), then dried (Na SO )
2
2
2
CH Cl ). The filtrate was evaporated, and the residue purified by re-
2
4
2 2
and evaporated to give a yellow crystalline residue. The product was
purified by chromatography (short column, silica gel, CH Cl ) to re-
peated chromatography on silica gel (EtOAc) to give 2e as an orange
microcrystalline solid; yield: 197 mg (4%); mp 124–126°C.
2
2
move baseline impurities and trace amounts of 5-tert-butylsalicylal-
dehyde. This gave 2a as light yellow crystals sufficiently pure for
further reactions. Analytically pure material could easily be prepared
by recrystallization (cyclohexane) to give large yellowish needles;
C H NO
5
calcd
found
C
49.24
49.10
H
2.58
2.74
N
7.18
7.06
8
5
(195.13)
1
H NMR (CDCl ): δ = 12.23 (s, 1H, -OH), 10.28 (s, 2H, -CHO), 8.83
3
2
0
(s, 2H, Ar-H).
MS (EI): m/z (%) = 195 (M , 50).
yield: 4.58 g (65%).; mp 102–103°C (lit. mp 105°C).
+
1
H NMR (CDCl ): δ = 11.45 (s, 1H, -OH), 10.21 (s, 2H, -CHO), 7.95
3
(
s, 2H, Ar-H), 1.32 [s, 9H, -C(CH ) ].
3 3
13
Monoformylation of 4-Substituted Alkoxybenzenes; General
Procedure:
C NMR (CDCl ): δ = 192.34 (-CHO), 161.69 (arom. C-1), 143.09
3
(
[
arom. C-4), 134.62 (arom. C-3,5), 122.62 (arom. C-2,6), 34.28
-C(CH ) ], 31.07 [-C(CH ) ].
The alkoxybenzene (30 mmol) and hexamethylenetetramine
(30 mmol) were dissolved in anhyd TFA (60 mL) under N2, and the
resulting solution refluxed for 24 h. The mixture was concentrated in
vacuo and the residue partitioned between CH Cl (200 mL) and H O
3
3
3 3
+
MS (EI): m/z (%) = 206 (M , 40).
2
2
2
2
,6-Diformyl-4-methylphenol (2b):
(200 mL). The phases were separated, and the aqueous phase was
This preparation closely followed the preparation of 2a, starting from
p-cresol (4.03 g, 37.3 mmol) and hexamethylenetetramine (10.59 g,
acidified with conc. aq HCl (50 mL) and extracted with CH Cl2
(100 mL). The combined organic phases were washed with 4 M HCl
2
7
5.5 mmol) in anhyd TFA (50 mL). The product was purified by col-
(200 mL), sat. aq NaHCO (200 mL) water (200 mL), and then dried
3
umn chromatography (silica gel, CH Cl ) to give 2b as yellow nee-
(Na SO ). The solvent was evaporated in vacuo, and the residue pu-
rified by column chromatography (silica gel) to give the product after
evaporation of the solvent.
2
2
2
4
9
20
dles; yield: 4.15 g (68%); mp 130°C (lit. mp 132–133°C, lit. mp
30°C).
1
1
H NMR (CDCl ): δ = 11.43 (s, 1H, -OH), 10.18 (s, 2H, -CHO), 7.73
3
(
s, 2H, Ar-H), 2.35 (s, 3H, -CH ).
5-tert-Butyl-2-methoxybenzaldehyde (5):
3
13
C NMR (CDCl ): δ = 192.20 (-CHO), 161.72 (arom. C-1), 137.96
Prepared from 4-tert-butylanisole (4.80 g, 29.2 mmol), hexamethy-
lenetetramine (9.35 g, 66.7 mmol) and TFA (60 mL) to give crude 5
as a yellow oil after aqueous workup. Purification by column chroma-
tography (silica gel, CH Cl /petroleum ether 1:1 to 3:1) gave 5 as a
3
(arom. C-3,5), 129.48 (arom. C-4), 122.85 (arom. C-2,6), 20.05
(-CH3).
+
MS (EI): m/z (%) = 164 (M , 100).
2
2
21
slightly yellow oil; yield: 3.90 g (70%).
H NMR (CDCl ): δ = 10.44 (s, 1H, -CHO), 7.82 (d, 1H, J = 3 Hz,
1
2
,6-Diformyl-4-methoxyphenol (2c):
This preparation closely followed the preparation of 2a, starting from
-methoxyphenol (5.243 g, 42.2 mmol) and hexamethylenetetramine
11.95 g, 85.1 mmol) in anhyd TFA (60 mL). The product was puri-
3
Ar-H6), 7.57 (dd, 1H, J = 3 Hz, J = 9 Hz, Ar-H4), 6.91 (d, 1H, J =
1
2
4
(
9 Hz, Ar-H3), 3.89 (s, 3H, -OCH ), 1.29 [s, 9H, -C(CH ) ].
3 3 3
C NMR (CDCl ): δ = 190.14 (-CHO), 159.85 (arom. C-2), 143.46
3
13
fied by chromatography (short column, silica gel, gradient from
(arom. C-5), 133.14 (arom. C-6), 124.97 (arom. C-4), 124.05 (arom.
C-1), 111.33 (arom. C-3), 55.64 (-OCH ), 34.17 [-C(CH ) ], 31.26
CH Cl to CH Cl /MeOH 40:1) and evaporated to give 2c as yellow
2
2
2
2
3
3 3
9
needles; yield: 3.22 g (42%); mp 135–136°C (lit. mp 137–139°C).
H NMR (CDCl ): δ = 11.10 (s, 1H, -OH), 10.19 (s, 2H, -CHO), 7.48
[-C(CH ) ].
3 3
1
+
3
MS (EI): m/z (%) = 192 (M , 42).
(
s, 2H, Ar-H), 3.83 (s, 3H, -OCH ).
3
1
3
C NMR (CDCl ): δ = 191.84 (-CHO), 157.96 (arom. C-1), 152.60
1,2-Bis(4-tert-butyl-2-formylphenoxy)ethane (7):
3
Prepared from 1,2-bis(4-tert-butylphenoxy)ethane22 (13.05 g,
40.0 mmol), hexamethylenetetramine (11.23 g, 80.11 mmol) and
TFA (120 mL) to give crude 7 as a yellow oil after aqueous workup.
(
arom. C-4), 123.49 (arom. C-2,6), 122.43 (arom. C-3,5), 56.14
(-OCH3).
+
MS (EI): m/z (%) = 180 (M , 100).