The synthesis of 2-(2-azulyl) ethanol (1-OH) was accomplished starting with methyl or ethyl 2-chloro-1-azulenecarboxylate (6) and involved nucleophilic substitution at Cz with sodium methylcyanoacetate followed by lithium iodide ester halogenodealkylation with concomitant bisdecarboxylation to 2-azulylacetonitrile (10). Hydrolysis of 10 followed by diborane reduction of the acetic acid 11 gave 1-OH. The kinetics of buffered acetolysis of 1-OTs and ...
