Abstract 2, 4, 6-Trihydroxybenzoic acid was converted by partial methylation, formylation, and then reduction into methyl 2-hydroxy-3-hydroxymethyl-4, 6-dimethoxybenzoate (5) which proved different from dimethyldegeranylmelicopol. Methyl 6-geranyloxy-2-hydroxy-3- hydroxymethyl-4-methoxybenzoate (4), its neryl analogue (7), and methyl 4-geranyloxy-2- hydroxy-3-hydroxymethyl-6-methoxybenzoate (21) were prepared similarly but all were ...
