Expedient synthesis of 4- O-methylhonokiol via Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling

Abstract

Concise and practical synthesis of 4- O-methylhonokiol was achieved in 34% overall yield. The key features of our synthesis include chemoselective ortho-mono bromination of phenol as well as biaryl formation via Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling, in which bromophenol was reacted with potassium aryltrifluoroborate using Pd(OAc) 2 and RuPhos under microwave conditions.