1,3,5-Trimethoxybenzene

CAS 621-23-8

Three alternating methoxy groups give 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene two useful chemical roles. Their electron donation makes the aromatic ring a reaction partner for suitable electrophiles. Their symmetrical arrangement also gives the unsubstituted molecule a relatively simple proton NMR pattern. Published research has used it in carbon-carbon bond formation, while preparative work has used it as a reference for quantitative NMR. In the first setting, reactivity matters; in the second, known purity, compatibility and distinguishable signals matter. Its three aromatic hydrogens are equivalent before substitution, simplifying both structural reasoning and signal interpretation. Once a new group is attached, that symmetry changes. The same compact molecule shows how an orderly arrangement can assist both the construction of larger structures and the measurement of a sample's composition.