α-Hydroxy ketone precursors leading to a novel class of electro-optic acceptors

A facile high-yield synthetic route has been established for the synthesis of cc-hydroxy methyl ketones. These intermediates are important precursors to the tricyanovinyldihydrofuran type of acceptor used in high mubeta nonlinear optical chromophores. 3-Hydroxy-3-methyl-2-butanone is one of only three commercially available precursors of this type, limiting the chemist from making systematic studies of structure property relationships. This very general synthetic method allows a wide variety of alpha-hydroxy ketone structures to be easily made.