Optimization of the ultrasound-assisted synthesis of allyl 1-naphthyl ether using response surface methodology

Allyl 1-naphthyl ethers are useful compounds for different purposes, but reported methods to synthesize them require long reaction times. In this work, we have obtained allyl 1-naphthyl ether in good yield using ultrasonic-assisted methodology in a 1-h reaction. A central composite design was used to obtain a statistical model and a response surface (p < 0.05; R2 = 0.970; R2adj = 0.949; R2pred = 0.818) that can predict the optimal conditions to maximize the yield, validated experimentally.

Research highlights
► O-Allylation of 1-naphthol with high yields (>90%).
► Statistical optimization of allyl 1-naphthyl ether synthesis.
► Yield prediction of allyl 1-naphthyl ether synthesis under ultrasonic irradiation.
► Mechanistic study of ultrasonic-assisted allyl 1-naphthyl ether synthesis.