Practical preparation of diphenylmethyl ethers from 2-diphenylmethoxypyridine using catalytic iron(iii) chloride

Abstract

A novel facile synthetic method for producing diphenylmethyl (DPM) ethers from 2-diphenylmethoxypyridine was developed. A variety of DPM ethers was successfully achieved with high yield via treatment of alcohols with 2-diphenylmethoxypyridine in the presence of catalytic FeCl₃. The procedure is a practical and efficient synthetic procedure to protect various alcohols, and it can be applied to prepare bioactive compounds.