A practical synthesis of 8-methyldecanal

8-methyldecanal is a characteristic ingredient of Australian finger lime (Citrus australasica), and has found important applications in flavour and fragrance industry. A novel and practical preparation method of 8-methyldecanal is presented. Starting from cheap and readily available 6-chloro-1-hexanol, 8-methyldecanal was prepared in five steps with an overall yield of 50.7%.