Electrochemical phenylselenoetherification as a key step in the synthesis of (±)-curcumene ether

Abstract

Two variants of a new pathway for the synthesis of (±)-curcumene ether are described. The key steps in these procedures are intramolecular cyclizations of 6-methyl-2-(4-methylphenyl)hept-6-en-2-ol and 2-methyl-6-(4-methylphenyl)hept-6-en-2-ol by means of an electrochemically generated phenylselenyl cation. This synthetic approach provides significantly better yields than the previously reported protocols. Copyright © 2013 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.