http://gb.espacenet.com/ (http://gb.espacenet.com/)
to find as many synths for 3,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde as possible, which shouldn't be too hard. Hmmm, how about 3,4-dimethylbenzene to the chloride. Shit, if I was willing to start from scratch like that, then I might as well shoot for 3,4-methylenedioxy.. 8)to find as many synths for 3,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde as possible, which shouldn't be too hard.
(italics added)
LOL! ;D
Betcha won't find nuthin but plain ol' fuckin Gatterman-Koch, which definitely ain't an option for a kitchen chemist.
o-xylene is too electron-poor for any other formylation method (of all that i know of) to work. So as i said, chloromethylation/Sommelet rxn seems to bee the only realistic pathway.
On general, the phrase 'shouldn't bee too hard' only very rarely can bee applied to searching in the patent databases, believe me :)
Antoncho