Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Demethoxylation of compounds

limpet - 26-5-2015 at 03:15

So, I know how to demethylate the compound to produce the hydroxy of it (via Pyridine and AlCl3?) but looking for dehydration, brings only methods using alcohol (Al2O3) where the final product would be a gas. The final product of what I am thinking of would be a solid. Should the dehydration method be the same and instead end up crystalising at the bottom or should the dehydration use a different method completely?

Would the reaction process change for different compounds too (not counting compounds with multiple methoxy / hydroxy bonds), or should they stay the same ?

Just to say I am a bit of a novice, so be kind!

Pumukli - 26-5-2015 at 13:50


I think you were thinking of some sort of aryl-O-Me compound.
I know no easy way to achieve what you want. Demethylation OK, but that oxygen is tough to remove.


CuReUS - 27-5-2015 at 02:57

heating phenolic ethers(Ar-O-R) with Raney nickel in a protic solvent will cleave them to give ArH and RH.when R is aromatic,it may be reduced to cyclohexane unless degassed raney nickel is used.during the reduction Ar takes up a proton from the solvent and ROH is reduced by hydrogenolysis

[Edited on 27-5-2015 by CuReUS]