In the following reaction sequence, structures of A and B respectively will be
(A)(see structures)AB
(B)(see structures)AB
(C)(see structures)AB
(D)(see structures)AB✓ Correct
Answer: (D)
Solution
LiAlHX4 first reduces the ester to a primary alcohol, giving the intermediate A — a ring bearing the hydroxy-propyl chain alongside the benzylic bromide and the phenol. Base then deprotonates that alcohol, and the alkoxide displaces the benzylic bromide in an intramolecular Williamson ether synthesis, closing a six-membered oxygen-containing ring while the phenolic −OH survives. The pair of structures A and B matching this reduction-then-cyclisation sequence is the correct one.
JEE Main · 2020 · 07 Jan 2020 · Shift 2 · Single correct option