Demethylation of Aromatic Methyl Ethers Using Ionic Liquids under Microwave Irradiation

An efficient demethylation reaction for aromatic methyl ethers has been developed. Deprotection reactions give high yields with butylpyridinium bromide under microwave irradiation. Basic and acidic functional groups are tolerated if the reaction is performed under acidic conditions. Keywords: Aromatic ether, demethylation, ionic liquid, microwave irradiation, solvent free