Abstract Treatment for 22-24 hours at room temperature of the methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, and 3- pentyl ethers of phenol with n-butyllithium in hexane/tetrahydrofuran, followed by carbonation and acidification, provided the corresponding o-alkoxybenzoic acids in conversions of 50, 42, 25, and 17% respectively. Under these conditions, phenyl tert-butyl ether gave only salicylic acid (27% conversion) although at lower temperature, a ...
