Reaction of a phenol with an aldehyde in the presence of phenylboronic acid gives a 1, 3, 2- benzodioxaborin. The latter could be reduced to the corresponding ortho-alkylphenol with tert-butylamine borane in the presence of aluminum chloride. Alternatively, the dioxaborin, when reacted with an alkylthiol or an alcohol in the presence of an acid, gave the corresponding ortho-alkylthiomethyl-or ortho-alkoxymethylphenol. Key words: phenol, ...