Synthesis and Characterization of Benzophenone Based Phenyl Ether Derivatives

Abstract

Benzophenone and diphenyl ether derivatives are important compounds because of their biological activities and materialistic applications. Such compounds have also been isolated from a number of natural products. Individually, both these categories of compounds have found numerous applications in medicinal and material world. Therefore, the work presented here describes synthesis of benzophenone derivatives of diphenyl ethers. Three compounds D, E and F were synthesized using same benzophenone precursor, (2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)(phenyl) methanone, and 2- bromo-5-nitrobenzaldehyde to get 2-(2-benzoyl-5-methoxyphenoxy)-5-nitrobenzaldehyde (D). Using different concentrations of the same reducing agent (NaBH4) two different products were obtained. In one case only aldehyde was reduced (Compound E) while in other case both aldehyde and ketone present in the molecule (Compound F) were reduced. Characterization was done using 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy.