A General Method for the Preparation of 6-Hydroxy-4-Alkyl-Hexanals

Abstract

6-Hydroxy-4-alkylhexanals are important intermediates in the synthesis of juvenile hormones and their analogs. We wish to report an economic route to these compounds which starts essentially with an easily accessible p-substituted phenol. Catalytic hydrogenation of the phenol is known ¹ to give, depending on the reaction conditions, either the corresponding cyclohexanone or the cyclohexanol. The latter is easily oxidized to the ketone. The cyclohexanone is then subjected