Oxidative Coupling of o-and p-Cresols with Alkaline Potassium Ferricyanide

Department of Chemistry, University College of Science, Calcutta-700 009

Manuscript  received 16  June 1983, accepted  3 December  1983

Oxidative coupling of  р-cresol with alkaline K₃[Fe(CN)₆ ] has been reinvestigated. This has yielded, besides the previously reported compounds (1), (2) and (3), two new products (4a) and (5). Detailed spectroscopic analyses of all the compounds including ¹³C nmr studies of 1 and the tetraacetyl derivative of 4a have been made to confirm their structures. o-Cresol under identical reaction condition gave, in addition to a trace of an uncharacterised modified trimer, the tetramer (6). Its structure has also been settled by spectral evidence.