Unusualp‐Toluene Sulfonic Acid–Catalyzed Carbon–Carbon Bond Formation

Abstract

Attempts to synthesize the antidepressant drug atomoxetine directly by p-TSA-catalyzed reaction between o-cresol and N-methyl-3-phenyl-3-hydroxypropyl amine in toluene at reflux temperature surprisingly resulted in the formation of ortho-substituted phenol derivative. The structure is unambiguously confirmed by single crystal X-ray.