A New Synthesis of 5,8‐Dimethyl‐2‐tetralone—A Potential Intermediate for the Synthesis of Ring‐A Aromatic Sesquiterpenes. Novel Transformation During Acetoxylation of 5,8‐Dimethyldihydronapthalene

Abstract

An efficient synthesis of 5,8‐dimethyl‐2‐tetralone 4 starting from 5,8‐dimethyl‐1‐tetralone 2 is described. It was converted into the unsaturated derivative 3, which on epoxidation followed by acid hydrolysis yielded tetralone 4. Acetoxylation of 3 with manganese(III) acetate and potassium bromide afforded dimethylnaphthalene 8 and derivative 9.

^†Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Marcel Roche, founder and Director of our Institute (IVIC).

Keywords:

• Manganese(III) acetate
• Friedel–Crafts alkylation
• Occidol
• Dimethyl tetralone

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Professor Miguel E. Alonso, University of Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela, for suggestions and comments to our work on acetoxylation. We also like to give thanks to Lic. P. Poon for discussions and reading the manuscript.

Notes

^†Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Marcel Roche, founder and Director of our Institute (IVIC).