Reserirch Lrrborntor.ies, Healtlr Protection Brrrtrch, Healtlr rrtrrl We!fcrre Ccinrrdrr, Ottrrtva KIAOL2Received January 28, 1974 KEITH BAILEY. Can. J. Chern. 52, 2136 (1974). The reaction of 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzaldehyde or 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl methyl ketone with alkyl magnesium halides gives secondary or tertiary carbinols. These are converted i n good yields into 1-alkyl-3,s-dimethoxybenzenes by reaction with dissolving sodium in alcohols.KEITH BAILEY. Can. J. Chem. 52, 2136Chem. 52, (1974.Les reactions du trimCthoxy-3,4,5 benzaldehyde OLI de la trimetlioxy-3,4,5 pliCnyl methyl cCtone avec les halogenures de nietliylniagnCsi~~m conduisent aux alcools secondaires ou testiaires correspondants. La staction dc ces derniers avec du sodi~lm dissous dans les alcools conduit avec de bons rendements aux alkyl-l dirnithoxy-3,5 benzene.[Traduit par le journal]Syntheses of many plant products including cannabinoids (1-4) and their ho~nologues depend largely on the availability of I-alkyl-3,5-dihydroxybenzenes (1) (5). Although syntheses of S L I C~ resorcinol homologues were described several years ago (6-lo), they remain somewhat inaccessible and thecurrent interest in cannabinoids and other plant products has spurred further investigations (2,(11)(12)(13). A simple synthesis of 1-alkyl-3,5-dimethoxybenzenes (2), which are readily demethylatecl to the 3,5-dihydroxybenzenes (2, 9, 1 I), is described here. It involves the Grignard reaction of an alkyl magnesium halide CH3O OCH I 0 C t l 3 with 3,4,5-trirnethoxybenzaldehyde or 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl methyl ketone (which are more readily available than their 3,5-dirnethoxy counterparts) to give a carbinol (3; R1 = H or CH,) which is sin~ultaneously 4-demethoxylated and reduced in the side chain t o give the dirnethoxybenzenes (2; R 1 = H or CH,) by the action of dissolving s o d i~~r n in t-butanol, The last step is an extension and ilnproverne~lt of a reaction described by Asahina (6) in which dirnethoxybenzenes (2; R ' = H) were prepared from 3,4,5-tri~nethoxyphenyl alkyl ketones with dissolving sodium in alcohol. If the resorcinol derivatives (I) are desired, it is 1101 generally necessary to purify the intermediates 2 and 3. Typical procedures are described in the ~xperimentalsection.When the reaction was 'first investigated, Asahina's procedure (6) (add sodiuni pieces and ethanol or isopropanol to 3,4,5-trin~ethoxy-phenyl alkyl ketones) was applied to the carbinol.A number of I -alkyl-3,5-di1iietl1oxybenzenes were prepared (2; R ' = H, R2 = CH,; RI = H, R2 = JI-C3H7; R 1 = M. R2 = t7-C,H,; R1 = H, R2 = 17-C5t1,,; R L = H, R2 = C6H5; R1 = CH,, RZ = JI-C,H,; R1 = CH,, R~ = 17-C,H,; R' = CH,, R2 = 17-C6HI3; R 1 = CH,, R2 = cyclohexyl; R1 = CH,, R2 = C6Hj) but the yields were only fair (about 7 5 z isolated, about 607, pure). A more satisfactory practice (see T A B L E I. ElTect of change in alcohol on reduction" of 3 ( R 1 = H, R 2 = tr-C5Hll)