C-G; 2,5-DIMETHOXY-3,4-DIMETHYLPHENETHYLAMINE

SYNTHESIS: To a clear solution of 40.4 g flake KOH in 400 mL warm EtOH there was added 86.5 g 2,3-xylenol followed by 51.4 g methyl iodide. This mixture was held at reflux for 2 days, stripped of volatiles under vacuum, the residues dissolved in 1 L of H2O, and extracted with 4x200 mL CH2Cl2. The pooled extracts were washed with 5% NaOH until the washes remained basic. Following a single washing with dilute HCl, the solvent was removed under vacuum, and the residue, 41.5 g of a pungent smelling amber oil, spontaneously crystallized. The mp of 2,3-dimethylanisole was 25-26 deg C and it was used without further purification in the next step. From the aqueous basic washes, following acidification, extraction, and solvent removal, there was obtained 46.5 g crude unreacted xylenol which could be recycled.

A mixture of 205 g POCl3 and 228 g N-methylformanilide was allowed to incubate at room temperature until there was the development of a deep claret color with some spontaneous heating. To this, there was added 70.8 g 2,3-dimethylanisole, and the dark reaction mixture heated on the steam bath for 2.5 h. The product was then poured into 1.7 L H2O, and stirred until there was a spontaneous crystallization. These solids were removed by filtration, H2O washed and air dried to give 77.7 g of crude benzaldehyde as brown crystals. This was distilled at 70-90 deg C at 0.4 mm/Hg to give 64.8 g of 2,3-dimethyl-4-methoxybenzaldehyde as a white crystalline product with a mp of 51-52 deg C. Recrystallization from MeOH produced an analytical sample with a mp of 55-55.5 deg C. Anal. (C10H12O2) C,H. The malononitrile derivative (from the aldehyde and malononitrile in EtOH with a drop of triethylamine) had a mp of 133-133.5 deg C from EtOH. Anal. (C13H12N2O) C,H,N. Recently, this aldehyde has become commercially available.

A solution of 32.4 g 2,3-dimethyl-4-methoxybenzaldehyde in 800 mL CH2Cl2 was treated with 58.6 g 85% m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid and held at reflux for 3 days. After cooling to room temperature, the white solids (m-chlorobenzoic acid) were removed by filtration (about 40 g when dry). The filtrate was extracted with several portions of saturated NaHCO3 (on acidification, this aqueous wash yielded additional m-chlorobenzoic acid) and the organic solvent removed under vacuum. The crystalline residue (weighing 32 g and deeply colored) was dissolved in 150 mL boiling MeOH to which there was added 18 g of solid NaOH and the solution heated on the steam bath for a few min. The mixture was added to 800 mL H2O, and a little surface scum mechanically removed with a piece of filter paper. The solution was acidified with concentrated HCl, depositing 30.9 g of a tan solid. Recrystallization from H2O gave 2,3-dimethyl-4-methoxyphenol as white needles, with a mp of 95-96 deg C. Anal. (C9H12O2) H; C: calcd, 71.06; found 70.20. The N-methyl carbamate was made by the treatment of a solution of the phenol (1 g in 75 mL hexane with 5 mL CH2Cl2 added) with 2 g methyl isocyanate and a few drops of triethyl amine. The pale pink solids that separated were recrystallized from MeOH to give a product that had a mp of 141-142 deg C. Anal. (C11H15NO3) C,H,N.

To a solution of 23.1 g flake KOH in 250 mL hot EtOH there was added 61.8 g 2,3-dimethyl-4-methoxyphenol followed by 60 g methyl iodide. This was held under reflux for 12 h, then stripped of solvent under vacuum. The residue was dissolved in 1.2 L H2O, acidified with HCl, and extracted with 3x200 mL CH2Cl2. The combined extracts were washed with 3x100 mL 5% NaOH, and the solvent was removed under vacuum. The residue set up as an off-white mass of leaflets weighing 37.7 g after filtering and air drying. Recrystallization from MeOH gave 2,3-dimethyl-1,4-dimethoxybenzene as white solids, with a mp of 78-79 deg C. Anal. (C10H14O2) C,H. An alternate route leading from 2,3-xylenol to this diether via nitrogen-containing intermediates was explored. The sequence involved the reaction of 2,3-xylenol with nitrous acid (4-nitroso product, mp 184 deg C dec.), reduction with sodium dithionite (4-amino product, mp about 175 deg C), oxidation with nitric acid (benzoquinone, mp 58 deg C), reduction with sodium dithionite (hydro-quinone) and final methylation with methyl iodide. The yields were inferior with this process.

A mixture of 88 g POCl3 and 99 g N-methylformanilide was allowed to incubate until a deep claret color had formed, then it was treated with 36.5 g 2,3-dimethyl-1,4-dimethoxybenzene and heated on the steam bath for 3 h. It was then poured into 1 L H2O, and stirred until the formation of a loose, crumbly, dark crystalline mass was complete. This was removed by filtration, and dissolved in 300 mL CH2Cl2. After washing first with H2O, then with 5% NaOH, and finally with dilute HCl, the solvent was removed under vacuum yielding 39.5 g of a black oil that solidified. This was extracted with 2x300 mL boiling hexane, the extracts were pooled, and the solvent removed under vacuum. The yellowish residue crystallized to give 32.7 g 2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde with a mp of 46-47 deg C. Repeated recrystallization from MeOH raised the mp to 59-60 deg C. The malononitrile derivative was prepared (aldehyde and malononitrile in EtOH with a few drops triethyl amine) as yellow crystals from EtOH, with a mp of 190-191 deg C. Anal. (C14H14N2O2) C,H; N: calcd, 11.56; found, 11.06, 11.04.

To a solution of 16.3 g 2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde in 50 mL nitromethane there was added 3.0 g anhydrous ammonium acetate, and the mixture was heated on the steam bath overnight. There was then added an equal volume of MeOH, and with cooling there was obtained a fine crop of yellow crystals. These were removed by filtration, washed with MeOH, and air dried to provide 4.4 g of 2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-dimethyl-beta-nitrostyrene with a mp of 120-121 deg C which was not improved by recrystallization from MeOH (50 mL/g). The mother liquors of the above filtration were diluted with H2O to the point of permanent turbidity, then set aside in a cold box. There was a chunky, granular, tomato-red crystal deposited which weighed 2.5 g when dry. It had a mp of 118-119.5 deg C, which was undepressed in mixed mp with the yellow sample. Both forms had identical NMR spectra (2.20, 2.25 CH3; 3.72, 3.84 OCH3; 6.80 ArH; 7.76, 8.28 CH=CH, with 14 cycle splitting), infrared spectra, ultra violet spectra (max. 324 nm with shoulder at 366 nm in EtOH, two peaks at 309 and 355 nm in hexane), and microanalyses. Anal. (C12H15NO4) C,H,N.

A solution of LAH (56 mL of a 1 M solution in THF) was cooled, under He, to 0 deg C with an external ice bath. With good stirring there was added 1.52 mL 100% H2SO4 dropwise, to minimize charring. This was followed by the addition of 3.63 g 2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-dimethyl-beta-nitrostyrene in 36 mL anhydrous THF over the course of 1 h. After a few minutes further stirring, the temperature was brought up to a gentle reflux on the steam bath for about 5 min, then all was cooled again to 0 deg C. The excess hydride was destroyed by the cautious addition of 9 mL IPA followed by 2.5 mL 15% NaOH and finally 7.5 mL H2O. The reaction mixture was filtered, and the filter cake washed first with THF and then with IPA. The filtrate was stripped of solvent under vacuum and the residue was distilled at 110-120 deg C at 0.2 mm/Hg to give 2.07 g of 2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-dimethylphenethylamine as a clear white oil. This was dissolved in 10 mL IPA, neutralized with concentrated HCl, and then diluted with 25 mL anhydrous Et2O. The crystals that formed were filtered, Et2O washed, and air dried to constant weight. There was obtained 2.13 g of beautiful white crystals of 2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-dimethylphenethylamine hydrochloride (2C-G) with a mp of 232-233 deg C. Anal. (C12H20ClNO2) C,H.

DOSAGE: 20 - 35 mg.

DURATION: 18 - 30 h.

QUALITATIVE COMMENTS: (with 22 mg) I am completely functional, with writing and answering the telephone, but the coffee really tastes most strange. While the mental effects (to a ++ only) were dispersing, the body still had quite a bit of memory of the day. Sleep was fine, and desirable, in the early evening.

(with 32 mg) Superb material, to be classified as a 'true psychedelic' unless one is publishing, in which case it could be best described as an 'insight-enhancer' and obviously of potential value in psychotherapy (if one would wish to spend 30 hours in a therapy session!). I suppose it would be best to simply stick with the insight-enhancing and skip the psychotherapy. Just too, too long. There was not any particular visual impact, at least for me. The non-sexual and the anorexic aspects might indeed change, with increasing familiarity. Remains to be seen. The length of the experience is against its frequent use, of course, which is a pity, since this one is well worth investigating as often as possible.

(with 32 mg) There was, at the very beginning, a certain feeling of non-physical heat in the upper back which reminded me of the onset of various indoles, which this ain't. The energy tremor was quite strong throughout, but somehow the body was generally at ease.

(with 32 mg) At a plateau at two hours, with just a bit of tummy queasi-ness. And I am still at the plateau several hours later. Sleep finally at the 18th hour, but even after getting up and doing all kinds of things the next day, I was not completely baseline until that evening. And a couple of days more for what is certainly complete repair. That is a lot of mileage for a small amount of material.

EXTENSIONS AND COMMENTARY: Here is the first example, ever, of a phen-ethylamine that is of about the same potency as therelated three-carbon amphetamine. At first approximation, one is hard put to distinguish, from the recorded notes, any major differences either in potency, in duration, or in the nature of activity, between 2C-G and GANESHA itself.

I had always thought of the phenethylamines as being somewhat weaker than the corresponding amphetamines. Sometimes a little weaker and sometimes a lot weaker. But that is a totally prejudiced point of view, an outgrowth of my earliest comparisons of mescaline and TMA. That's the kind of thing that can color one's thinking and obscure what may be valuable observations. It is equally valid to think of the phenethylamines as the prototypes, and that the amphetamines are somewhat stronger than the corresponding phenethylamines. Sometimes a little stronger and sometimes a lot stronger. Then the question suddenly shifts from asking what is different about the phenethylamines, to what is different about the amphetamines? It is simply a historic fact, that in most of my exploring, the amphetamine was made and evaluated first, and so tended to slip into the role of the prototype. In any case, here the two potencies converge.

#28 2C-G-3; 2,5-DIMETHOXY-3,4-(TRIMETHYLENE)PHENETHYLAMINE;

5-(2-AMINOETHYL)-4,7-DIMETHOXYINDANE)

SYNTHESIS: To a solution of 22 g of KOH in 250 mL of hot EtOH, there was added 50 g of 4-indanol and 75 g methyl iodide. The mixture was held at reflux for 12 h. There was then added an additional 22 g KOH followed by an additional 50 g of methyl iodide. Refluxing was continued for an additional 12 h. The mixture was poured into 1 L H2O, acidified with HCl, and extracted with 3x75 mL CH2Cl2. The pooled extracts were washed with 5% NaOH, then with dilute HCl, and the solvent was removed under vacuum. The residue of crude 2,3-(trimethylene)anisole weighed 56.5 g and was used without further purification in the following reaction.

A mixture of 327 g N-methylformanilide and 295 g POCl3 was allowed to incubate until a deep claret color had formed. To this there was then added 110 g of crude 2,3-(trimethylene)anisole, and the mixture heated on the steam bath. There was a vigorous evolution of gases, which largely quieted down after some 4 h of heating. The reaction mixture was added to 4 L H2O and stirred overnight. The oily aqueous phase was extracted with 3x200 mL CH2Cl2, and after combining the extracts and removal of the solvent there was obtained 147 g of a black, sweet-smelling oil. This was distilled at 182-194 deg C at the water pump to yield 109.1 g of a pale yellow oil. At low temperature, this crystallized, but the solids melted again at room temperature. Gas chromatography of this product on OV-17 at 185 deg C showed detectable starting anisole and N-methylformanilide (combined, perhaps 5% of the product) and a small but real isomeric peak, (about 5%, slightly faster moving than the title aldehyde, again about 5% of the product) of what was tentatively identified as the ortho-aldehyde (2-methoxy-3,4-(trimethylene)-benzaldehyde). The bulk of this crude product (74 g) was redistilled at 110-130 deg C at 0.3 mm/Hg to give 66 g of 4-methoxy-2,3-(trimethylene)benzaldehyde as a nearly colorless oil which set up as a crystalline solid. A portion on porous plate showed a mp of 28-29 C. A gram of this aldehyde and a gram of malononitrile in 25 mL of EtOH was treated with a few drops of triethylamine and gave pale yellow crystals of the malononitrile derivative. This, upon recrystallization from 50 mL boiling EtOH, had a mp of 176-176.5 deg C. Anal. (C14H12N2O) C,H,N. A side path, other than towards the intended targets 2C-G-3 and G-3, was explored. Reaction with nitroethane and anhydrous ammonium acetate gave the 2-nitropropene analogue which was obtained in a pure state (mp 74-75 deg C from MeOH) only after repeated extraction of the crude isolate with boiling hexane. Reduction with elemental iron gave the phenylacetone analogue which was reductively aminated with dimethylamine and sodium cyanoborohydride to give N,N-dimethyl-4-methoxy-2,3-(trimethylene)amphetamine. This was designed for brain blood-flow volume studies after iodination at the 5-position, a concept that has been discussed under IDNNA. It has never been tasted by anyone. The corresponding primary amine, 4-methoxy-2,3-(trimethylene)amphetamine has not yet even been synthesized.

A solution of 34.8 g 4-methoxy-2,3-(trimethylene)benzaldehyde in 800 mL CH2Cl2 was treated with 58.6 g of 85% m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid and held at reflux for 3 days. After cooling and standing for a few days, the solids were removed by filtration and washed sparingly with CH2Cl2. The combined filtrate and washings were washed with 200 mL saturated NaHCO3, and the solvent removed, yielding 43.5 g of a deeply colored oil. This was dissolved in 150 mL MeOH to which was added 9 g NaOH and all heated to reflux on the steam bath. After 1 h, a solution of 9 g NaOH in 20 mL H2O was added, heated further, then followed by yet another treatment with 9 g NaOH in 20 mL H2O followed by additional heating. All was added to 800 mL H2O, washed once with CH2Cl2 (which removed a trivial amount of material) and then acidified with HCl. The dark crystals that were generated were filtered and air dried to constant weight, yielding 27.5 g dark but nice-looking crystals with a mp of 89-91 deg C. By all counts, this should have been the product phenol, 4-methoxy-2,3-(trimethylene)phenol, but the microanalysis indicated that the formate ester was still there. Anal. (C10H12O2) requires C = 73.08, H = 7.37. (C11H12O3) requires C = 68.73, H = 6.29. Found: C = 69.04, 68.84; H = 6.64, 6.58. Whatever the exact chemical status of the phenolic hydroxyl group might have been, it reacted successfully in the following methylation step.

To a solution of 10 g KOH in 100 g EtOH (containing 5% IPA) there was added 27.5 g of the above 89-91 deg C melting material, followed by 25 g methyl iodide. The mixture was held at reflux overnight. All was added to 800 mL H2O, acidified with HCl, and extracted with 3x100 mL CH2Cl2. The combined extracts were washed with 3x100 mL 5% NaOH, then once with dilute HCl, and the solvent removed under vacuum yielding 20.4 g of a fragrant crystalline residue. This was recrystallized from 60 mL boiling MeOH to give, after filtering and air drying, 16.0 g of 1,4-dimethoxy-2,3-(trimethylene)benzene (4,7-dimethoxyindane) with a mp of 86-88 deg C. Anal. (C11H14O2) C,H.

To a mixture of 39.0 g of N-methylformanilide and 35.9 g POCl3 that had been allowed to stand at ambient temperature until deeply claret (about 45 min) there was added 15.8 g of 1,4-dimethoxy-2,3-(trimethylene)benzene. The mixture was heated on the steam bath for 4 h and then poured into 600 mL H2O. After stirring overnight there was produced a heavy crystalline mass. This was removed by filtration and, after air drying, was extracted with 3x100 mL boiling hexane. Pooling and cooling these extracts yielded 9.7 g of salmon-colored crystals with a mp of 67-68 deg C. This was recrystallized from 25 mL boiling EtOH to give, after filtration, EtOH washing, and air drying to constant weight, 7.4 g of 2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-(trimethylene)benzaldehyde, with a mp of 71-72 deg C. The mother liquors on cautious treatment with H2O, yielded, after EtOH recrystallization, 1 g additional product. Anal. (C12H14O3) C,H. A solution of 150 mg aldehyde and an equal weight of malononitrile in 2.3 mL EtOH treated with 3 drops triethylamine gave immediate yellow crystals of the malononitrile derivative, with a mp of 161-162 deg C. Anal. (C15H14N2O2) C,H,N.

A solution 3.7 g 2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-(trimethylene)benzaldehyde in 15 g nitromethane was treated with 0.7 g anhydrous ammonium acetate and heated on the steam bath for 14 h. The volatiles were removed under vacuum, and the residue set up to 3.5 g dark crystals, which melted broadly between 126-138 deg C. Recrystallization of the entire mass from 70 mL boiling EtOH gave 3.2 g burnished gold crystals with a mp of 129-137 deg C. A further recrystallization of an analytical sample from MeOH gave 2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-(trimethylene)-beta-nitrostyrene as yellow crystals with a mp of 146-147 deg C. Anal. (C13H15NO4) C,H.

To a cold solution of LAH in THF (40 mL of a 1 M solution) well stirred and under an inert atmosphere, there was added dropwise 1.05 mL freshly prepared 100% H2SO4. There was then added, dropwise, a solution of 2.39 g 2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-(trimethylene)-beta-nitrostyrene in 25 mL THF. The bright yellow color was discharged immediately. After the addition was complete, stirring was continued for an additional 20 min, and the reaction mixture brought to a reflux on the steam bath for another 0.5 h. After cooling, the excess hydride was destroyed with IPA (8 mL required) followed by sufficient 15% NaOH to convert the inorganics into a loose, filterable mass. This was removed by filtration, and the filter cake washed with THF. The combined filtrate and washes were stripped of solvent under vacuum, and the residue dissolved in dilute H2SO4. After washing with CH2Cl2, the aqueous phase was made basic with 25% NaOH and extracted with 3x75 mL CH2Cl2. After removal of the solvent under vacuum, the residue was distilled at 125-160 deg C at 0.45 mm/Hg to yield 0.80 g of a white oil. This was dissolved in 8 mL IPA, neutralized with 20 drops of concentrated HCl (the salt crystals started to form before this was completed) followed with the addition of 65 mL anhydrous Et2O. The white crystalline mass was filtered, washed with Et2O, and air dried to provide 1.16 g of 2,5-dimethoxy-3,4-(trimethylene)phenethylamine hydrochloride (2C-G-3) with a mp of 214-216 deg C with decomposition. Anal. (C13H20ClNO2) C,H.

DOSAGE: 16 - 25 mg.

DURATION: 12 - 24 h.

QUALITATIVE COMMENTS: (with 16 mg) It came on in little leaps and bounds. All settled, and then it would take another little jump upwards. I am totally centered, and writing is easy. My appetite is modest. Would I drive to town to return a book to the library? No ever-loving way! I am very content to be right here where I am safe, and stay with the writing. It does take so much time to say what wants to be said, but there is no quick way. A word at a time.

(with 22 mg) I walked out for the mail at just about twilight. That was the most courageous thing that I could possibly have done, just for one lousy postcard and a journal. What if I had met someone who had wanted to talk? Towards evening I got a call from Peg who said her bean soup was bubbling in a scary way and what should she do, and I said maybe better make soap. It was that kind of an experience! Way up there, lots of LSD-like sparkles, and nothing quite really making sense. Marvelous.

(with 25 mg) There was easy talking, and no hint of any body concern. Sleep that evening was easy, and the next day was with good energy.

EXTENSIONS AND COMMENTARY: The positives of a completely intriguing altered state free from apparent physical threats, are here coupled with the negative of having to invest such a long period of time. There is a merry nuttiness which can give a joyous intoxication, but with the underlying paranoia of how it looks to others. There is an ease of communication, but only within surroundings that are well-known and friendly. This might be a truly frightening experience if it were in an unfamiliar or unstructured environment.

The numbering of this compound, and all the extensions of GANESHA, have been made on the basis of the nature of the stuff at the 3,4-position. Here there are three atoms (the trimethylene bridge) and so 2C-G-3 seems reasonable. With this logic, the dimethylene bridge would be 2C-G-2 (and the corresponding amphetamine would be G-2, of course). But these compounds call upon a common intermediate which is a benzocyclobutene, OK in principle but not yet OK in practice. The right benzyne reaction will be there someday, and the dimethylene analogues will be made and assayed. But, in the meantime, at least the names have been assigned.

#29 2C-G-4; 2,5-DIMETHOXY-3,4-(TETRAMETHYLENE)PHENETHYLAMINE;

6-(2-AMINOETHYL)-5,8-DIMETHOXY-TETRALIN

SYNTHESIS: To a solution of 49.2 g 5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthol (5-hydroxytetralin) in 100 mL MeOH, there was added 56 g methyl iodide followed by a solution of 24.8 g KOH pellets (85% purity) in 100 mL boiling MeOH. The mixture was heated in a 55 deg C bath for 3 h (the first white solids of potassium iodide appeared in about 10 min). The solvent was stripped under vacuum, and the residues dissolved in 2 L H2O. This was acidified with HCl, and extracted with 4x75 mL CH2Cl2. After washing the organic phase with 3x75 mL 5% NaOH, the solvent was removed under vacuum to give 48.2 g of a black residue. This was distilled at 80-100 deg C at 0.25 mm/Hg to provide 33.9 g 5-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene as a white oil. The NaOH washes, upon acidification and extraction with CH2Cl2 gave, after removal of the solvent under vacuum and distillation of the residue at 0.35 mm/Hg, 11.4 g of recovered starting phenol.

A mixture of 61.7 g POCl3 and 54.3 g N-methylformanilide was heated on the steam bath for 15 min which produced a deep red color. This was added to 54.3 g of 5-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene, and the mixture was heated on the steam bath for 2 h. The reaction mixture was quenched in 1.2 L H2O with very good stirring. The oils generated quickly turned to brown granular solids, which were removed by filtration. The 79 g of wet product was finely triturated under an equal weight of MeOH, filtered, washed with 20 mL ice-cold MeOH, and air dried to yield 32.0 g of 4-methoxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthaldehyde as an ivory-colored solid. The filtrate, on standing, deposited another 4.5 g of product which was added to the above first crop. An analytical sample was obtained by recrystallization from EtOH, and had a mp of 57-58 deg C. Anal. (C12H14O2) C,H.

To a solution of 25.1 g 4-methoxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthaldehyde in 300 mL CH2Cl2 there was added 25 g 85% m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid at a rate that was commensurate with the exothermic reaction. Solids were apparent within a few min. The stirred reaction mixture was heated at reflux for 8 h. After cooling to room temperature, the solids were removed by filtration and washed lightly with CH2Cl2. The pooled filtrate and washes were stripped of solvent under vacuum and the residue dissolved in 100 mL MeOH and treated with 40 mL 25% NaOH. This was heated on the steam bath for an hour, added to 1 L H2O, and acidified with HCl, producing a heavy crystalline mass. This was removed by filtration, air dried, and distilled at up to 170 deg C at 0.2 mm/Hg. There was thus obtained 21.4 g of 4-methoxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthol as an off-white solid with a mp of 107-114 deg C. An analytical sample was obtained by recrystallization from 70% EtOH, and melted at 119-120 deg C. Hexane is also an excellent recrystallization solvent. Anal. (C11H14O2) C,H. As an alternate method, the oxidation of the naphthaldehyde to the naphthol can be achieved through heating the aldehyde in acetic acid solution containing hydrogen peroxide. The yields using this route are consistently less than 40% of theory.

A solution of 21.0 g of 4-methoxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthol in 100 mL acetone in a 1 L round-bottomed flask, was treated with 25 g finely ground anhydrous K2CO3 and 26 g methyl iodide. The mixture was held at reflux on the steam bath for 2 h, cooled, and quenched in 1 L H2O. Trial extraction evaluations have shown that the starting phenol, as well as the product ether, are extractable into CH2Cl2 from aqueous base. The aqueous reaction mixture was extracted with 3x60 mL CH2Cl2, the solvent removed under vacuum, and the residue (19.6 g) was distilled at 90-130 deg C at 0.3 mm/Hg to give 14.1 g of an oily white solid mixture of starting material and product. This was finely ground under an equal weight of hexane, and the residual crystalline solids removed by filtration. These proved to be quite rich in the desired ether. This was dissolved in a hexane/CH2Cl2 mixture (3:1 by volume) and chromatographed on a silica gel preparative column, with the eluent continuously monitored by TLC (with this solvent system, the Rf of the ether product was 0.5, of the starting phenol 0.1). The fractions containing the desired ether were pooled, the solvent removed under vacuum and the residue, which weighed 3.86 g, was dissolved in 1.0 mL hexane and cooled with dry ice. Glistening white crystals were obtained by filtration at low temperature. The weight of 5,8-dimethoxytetralin isolated was 2.40 g and the mp was 44-45 deg C. GCMS analysis showed it to be largely one product (m/s 192 parent peak and major peak), but the underivitized starting phenol has abysmal GC properties and TLC remains the best measure of chemical purity.

A well-stirred solution of 3.69 g 5,8-dimethoxytetralin in 35 mL CH2Cl2 was placed in an inert atmosphere and cooled to 0 deg C with an external ice bath. There was then added, at a slow rate, 4.5 mL anhydrous stannic chloride, which produced a transient color that quickly faded to a residual yellow. There was then added 2.0 mL dichloromethyl methyl ether, which caused immediate darkening. After a few min stirring, the reaction mixture was allowed to come to room temperature, and finally to a gentle reflux on the steam bath. The evolution of HCl was continuous. The reaction was then poured into 200 mL H2O, the phases separated, and the aqueous phase extracted with 2x50 mL CH2Cl2. The organic phase and extracts were pooled, washed with 3x50 mL 5% NaOH, and the solvent removed under vacuum. The residue was distilled at 120-140 deg C at 0.3 mm/Hg to give 3.19 g of a white oil that spontaneously crystallized. The crude mp of 1,4-dimethoxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthaldehyde was 70-72 deg C. An analytical sample from hexane had the mp 74-75 deg C. The GCMS analysis showed only a single material (m/s 220, 100%) with no apparent starting dimethoxytetralin present. Attempts to synthesize this aldehyde by the Vilsmeier procedure (POCl3 and N-methylformanilide) gave complex mixtures of products. Synthetic efforts employing butyllithium and DMF gave only recovered starting material.

To a solution of 1.5 g 1,4-dimethoxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthaldehyde in 20 g nitromethane there was added 0.14 g anhydrous ammonium acetate and the mixture heated on the steam bath for 50 min. The rate of the reaction was determined by TLC monitoring, on silica gel with CH2Cl2 as the moving solvent; the Rf of the aldehyde was 0.70, and of the product nitrostyrene, 0.95. Removal of the volatiles under vacuum gave a residue that spontaneously crystallized. The fine yellow crystals that were obtained were suspended in 1.0 mL of MeOH, filtered, and air dried to yield 1.67 g 2,5-dimethoxy-beta-nitro-3,4-(tetramethylene)styrene with a mp of 151.5-152.5 deg C. Anal. (C14H17NO4) C,H.

DOSAGE: unknown.

DURATION: unknown

EXTENSIONS AND COMMENTARY: The road getting to this final product reminded me of the reasons why, during the first few billion years of the universe following the big bang, there was only hydrogen and helium. Nothing heavier. When everything had expanded enough to cool things sufficiently for the first actual matter to form, all was simply very energetic protons and neutrons. These were banging into one-another, making deuterium nuclei, and some of these got banged up even all the way to helium, but every time a helium nucleus collided with a particle of mass one, to try for something with mass five, the products simply couldn't exist. Both Lithium-5 and Helium-5 have the impossible half-lives of 10 to the minus 21 seconds. Hence, in the primordial soup, the only way to get into something heavier than helium was to have a collision between a couple of the relatively scarcer heavy nuclei, or to have a three body collision. Both of these would be extremely rare events, statistically. And if a few got through, there was another forbidden barrier at mass 8, since Beryllium-8 has a half life of 10 to the minus 16 seconds. So everything had to wait for a few suns to burn down so that they could process enough helium into heavy atoms, to achieve some nuclear chemistry that was not allowed in the early history of the universe.

And in the same way, there were two nearly insurmountable barriers encountered in getting to 2C-G-4 and G-4. The simple act of methylating an aromatic hydroxyl group provided mixtures that could only be resolved into components by some pretty intricate maneuvers. And when that product was indeed gotten, the conversion of it into a simple aromatic aldehyde resisted the classic procedures completely, either giving complex messes, or nothing. And even now, with these two hurdles successfully passed, the presumed simple last step has not yet been done. The product 2C-G-4 lies just one synthetic step (the LAH reduction) away from completion, and the equally fascinating G-4 also that one last reduction step from being completed. Having gotten through the worst of the swamp, let's get into the lab and finish up this challenge. They will both be active compounds.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 691