Expedient synthesis of 4-O-methylhonokiol via Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling

Concise and practical synthesis of 4-O-methylhonokiol was achieved in 34% overall yield. The key features of our synthesis include chemoselective ortho-mono bromination of phenol as well as biaryl formation via Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling, in which bromophenol was reacted with potassium aryltrifluoroborate using Pd(OAc)2 and RuPhos under microwave conditions.

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