The simplest of methoxy compounds are
methanol and
dimethyl ether. Other methoxy ethers include
anisole and
vanillin. Many metal alkoxides contain methoxy groups, such as
tetramethyl orthosilicate and
titanium methoxide.
Esters with a methoxy group can be referred to as methyl esters, and the —COOCH3 substituent is called a methoxycarbonyl.
Biosynthesis In nature, methoxy groups are found on nucleosides subjected to
2′-O-methylation, for example, in variations of the
5′-cap structure known as cap-1 and cap-2. They are also common substituents in
O-methylated flavonoids, whose formation is catalyzed by
O-methyltransferases that act on
phenols, such as
catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT). Many natural products in plants, such as
lignins, are generated via catalysis by
caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase.
Methoxylation Organic methoxides are often produced by
methylation of alkoxides. Some aryl methoxides can be synthesized by metal-catalyzed methylation of
phenols, or by methoxylation of
aryl halides. ==References==