Bromomethoxybenzoic acids and bromoanisoles: Demethylation and decarboxylation

Abstract Attempts to demethylate and decarboxylate various bromomethoxybenzoic acids in one stage led either in incomplete reaction with some acids or to rearrangement and debromination, depending on the catalysts used; a two‐stage reaction, using hydriodic acid for demethylation and a tertiary amine for decarboxylation was satisfactory in most cases. The use of various demethylating reagents with bromoanisoles brought about rearrangement and debromination.