Beta alcoholics

What happens during hydrolysis is that the OH forms and the elemicin propyl alcohol drops out of solution and forms its own oil layer. Of course one won t see this because the solution is a big old brown mess, lousy with emulsion particles. Emulsions suck But can be dealt with effectively by adding a little acid or base, or filtration and the like. Anyway, after a little work up one gets some really pure phenylpropyl compound. And if Strike had Strike s way. Strike would have that OH stuck right on the middle (beta) carbon of the species. Work could then progress on using that OH to get an amphetamine (Sob Strike had so much about that subject that Strike was prepared to put in this book ). 

For the past year Strike had been in consultation with contract labs over the making of phenylisopropyl alcohols using sulfuric acid and allylbenzenes (don t ask). The lab owners would listen patiently as Strike primitively described how and why an OH should go on the beta carbon. And without exception, the lab owners would point out to Strike that the best way to get an OH on the beta carbon would be to put a Br there first. But Strike don t wanna put a Br there first Strike would say, Strike wants the OH put on directly using sulfuric acid " The lab guys had to do what Strike said because Strike was holding all the money (...a fool and her money etc.). But out of curiosity Strike asked how they would get that Br on the beta carbon. Every one of them said it was simply a matter of using the 48% HBr in acetic acid. They even showed Strike their stock solutions (usually from Aldrich or Fisher). 

PEA from pENZYL ALCOHOL AND BETA-PHENETHYL ALCOHOL] (Vol 4)... 

Beta- and 3a-equatorial hydroxyl groups of the 5a- and 5j5-series respectively, as well as the quasi-equatorial 3/ -hydroxyl in A -enes, are highly reactive. Most of the protective groups considered in this review can be readily prepared with these alcohols. 

Beta- and 3a-alcohols of the 5)5- and 5a-series respectively also form tetrahydropyranyl ethers, cycloalkenyl ethers and mixed acetals. ... 

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