Abstract
The lithium aluminum hydride reduction of the half ester VIII, obtained by alcoholysis of 1, 6, 8-trimethoxy-2, 3-naphthalenedicarboxylic anhydride (VII), afforded two kinds of lactones of m. p. 185°and m. p. 202°, among which the former lactone of m. p. 185°was shown to be identical with natural α-sorigenin dimethyl ether, and the latter lactone of m. p. 202°with 3-hydroxymethyl-4, 5, 7-trimethoxy-2-naphthoic acid γ-lactone (X) prepared in the previous paper. Thus, the structure of α-sorigenin dimethyl ether was proved to be 3-hydroxymethyl-1, 6, 8-trimethoxy-2-naphthoic acid γ-lactone by synthetic means.
