Regiospecific alkylation of phenols: ortho or para to α coupling in cyclization of bis-phenols via quinone methides
Abstract
Intramolecular alkylations of phenols by o- and p-hydroxybenzylic alcohols are achieved with high regioselectivity by heating the bis-magnesium salts of bis-phenols such as (2) and (5), which cyclise efficiently into aryl-indanols and aryltetralols.