I think the easiest synthesis of safrole itself would be to methylenate allylcatechol with DCM and an optional phase transfer catalyst, such as tetrabutylammonium chloride.
https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/eugenol2safrol.html (https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/eugenol2safrol.html)
https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/isoeugenol.txt (https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/isoeugenol.txt)
https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/guest.eugenol.txt (https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/guest.eugenol.txt)
https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/safrole.eugenol.txt (https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/safrole.eugenol.txt)
You could of course start from the eugenol itself, but if you wanted the shortest easiest synthesis, methylenation of allylcatechol would be easier than allylation of benzodioxole I think.
If you are going to demethylate eugenol, I would test other demethylation catalysts such as aniline hydrochloride, instead of opting for the pyridine.
Good luck and report your yields! :)
P.S. Thanks lugh!
PrimoPyro
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Not sure you know what you are trying to say though. sassafras oil is usually not synthed, safrole is extracted from various volatile oils such as Sassafras Albidum, Ylang Ylang, etc.However safrole can be 'synthed' from eugenol (eucalyptus oil?)Too much work..... But the good safrole is the actual pre-cursor desired.
Some synths call for isosafrole, some just safrole. Isosafrole is a result of isomerization with a base like KOH.
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https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/oxone.epoxidation.html (https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/oxone.epoxidation.html)
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