Improved method of obtaining piperitone

A new convenient variant of the reduction of thymol methyl ether by lithium and isopropanol in the presence of ethylenediamine at 80–85°C and a molar equivalent ratio of ether to alcohol to amine to metal of 1:(8–12):(2.5–3):(4–6) has been developed. The proposed method permits the yield of piperitone to be doubled in comparison with known methods.I. N. Ul'yanov Chuvash State University, Cheboksary. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, Nos. 3,4, pp. 335–338, May–August, 1992.