Hydrochloric acid as an efficient catalyst for intermolecular condensation of alcohols. A simple and highly efficient synthesis of unsymmetrical ethers from benzylic alcohols and alkanols

Abstract

Benzylic alcohols and diarylmethanols with electron-donating substituents in the aromatic ring reacted with aliphatic alcohols in the presence of a catalytic amount of HCl to give the corresponding alkyl arylmethyl ethers. The reactivity of diarylmethanols in the intermolecular dehydration depended on the nature of substituents in the aromatic rings and structure of aliphatic alcohol.