Presently, only one literature method is available for the introduction of the 2-hydroxyethyl side chain into the 1 position of azulene (la). 2 Since this procedure is rather lengthy (N, N- dimethylamino methylation, quaternization, cyanide displacement, hydrolysis, and reduction), our interest in the solvolytic behavior of 2-(1-azuly1) ethyl tosylate and ring- substituted derivativesa prompt, ed us to examine a more direct route for introducing this ...
