Zinc Catalyzed Claisen Rearrangement of Allyl Aryl Ethers to o-Allylated Phenols in Liquid Phase

A simple and efficient method is developed for the zinc catalyzed Claisen rearrangement of allyl aryl ethers to o-allyl phenols by stirring in an oil-bath at 55 °C in liquid phase. Moreover, zinc powder is re-cyclable up to six times use without much loss of significant activity. In addition to it, the products are obtained in good to excellent yields and are in a state of high purity. The structures of the products are confirmed by 1 H NMR, 13 CNMR, IR and mass spectral data and comparison with authentic samples prepared according to the literature methods.