according to a college text by Cram and Hammond, in the 50's, this can work......
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.... a molar amount of base was measured out to hydrolyze the bromosafrole, (which was obtained via
dmso/nabr/h2so4,in ~ 4 hours) to the secondary alcohol, which went smoothly, I think...the color changed from gold to greeny as soon as it was heated a little, heated a little more, driving off the methanol and most of the small amount of water present (there was a little used in dissolving the NaOH) but if I remember right, there was layer separation as the thing happened. This was done in a 125 ml glass funnel, returned the -ol to the flask, added dmso and a catalytic amount of base, which wasnt measured just a couple of dashes ....
upon heating the stuff changed to the exact color of performic ketone. The smell is not the same, but it definitely is no longer safrole, or the -ol, or bromosafrole....
It distills at exactly the same range as ketone, (20 deg below bromosafrole, and 20-25 above safroles) and is
pale yellow with a weird smell unlike anything in the batcave.
I believe I hear Master Bruce.........
*&^%$#