Captain_America (Stranger)
02-03-04 10:14
No 486159
      Vilsmeer Haack Formylation of 2,5-dmeo-Et-benzene     

Hello!

Quote from PiHKAL: (http://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal024.shtml)

"The use of the Vilsmeier aldehyde synthesis (with POCl3 and N-methylformanilide) gave results that were totally unpredictable. The malononitrile derivative (from 0.3 g of this aldehyde and 0.3 g malononitrile in 5 mL EtOH and a drop of triethylamine) formed red crystals which, on recrystallization from toluene, had a mp of 123-124 °C"

This is very sad as this is a very nice aldehyde synthesis and this seem to happen with _ethyl_ substituent in particular, which is even more sad as 2C-E is a very interesting compound. Anyone actually tried this synth on 2,5-dimethoxy-1-ethylbenzene as substrate? If one has to go a la Shulgin, dichloromethyl methyl ether can be replaced with paraformaldehyde, this shouldn't affect the yield much.

http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/hr3162.html