Investigating the microwave-accelerated Claisen rearrangement of allyl aryl ethers: Scope of the catalysts, solvents, temperatures, and substrates

Abstract

The microwave-accelerated Claisen rearrangement of allyl aryl ethers was investigated, in order to gain insight into the scope of the catalysts, solvents, temperatures, and substrates. Among the catalysts examined, phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) was found to greatly accelerate the reaction in NMP, at temperatures ranging from 220 to 300 °C. This method was found to be useful for preparing several intermediates previously reported in the literature using precious metal catalysts such as Au(I), Ag(I), and Pt(II). Additionally, substrates bearing bromo and nitro groups on the aryl portion required careful tailoring of the reaction conditions to avoid complex product profiles.