Bis(2,5‐dimethoxy‐4‐methylphenyl)methane and bis(2,5‐dimethoxy‐3,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)methane

Bis(2,5‐di­methoxy‐4‐methyl­phenyl)­methane, C₁₉H₂₄O₄, (IIa), was obtained and characterized as a minor product from the reaction of tolu­hydro­quinone di­methyl ether (1,4‐dimethoxy‐2‐methylbenzene) with N‐(hydroxy­methyl)­tri­fluoro­acet­amide. Similarly, bis(2,5‐di­methoxy‐3,4,6‐tri­methyl­phenyl)­methane, C₂₃H₃₂O₄, (IIb), was prepared from the corresponding reaction of tri­methyl­hydro­quinone di­methyl ether (2,5‐dimethoxy‐1,3,4‐trimethylbenzene). The mol­ecules of (IIa) and (IIb) each lie on a twofold axis passing through the methyl­ene group. The dihedral angle between the planar phenyl rings is 73.4 (1)° in (IIa) and 77.9 (1)° in (IIb). The external bond angles around the bridging methyl­ene group are 116.6 (2) and 117.3 (2)° for (IIa) and (IIb), respectively. In (IIa), the methoxy substituents lie in the plane of the ring and are conjugated with the aromatic system, whereas in (IIb), they are almost perpendicular to the phenyl ring and are positioned on opposite sides.