Alkylation of the sodium salt of 1-naphthol with benzyl bromide provides DuP-654. Alternatively, condensation of 1-tetralone (I) with benzaldehyde (II) in the presence of potassium hydroxide yields 2-benzylidene-1-tetralone (III), which may be isomerized to DuP-654 using rhodium chloride or a soluble iridium complex. A mixture of (I) and (II) may also be directly converted to DuP-654 by treating with potassium tert-butoxide in refluxing tert-butanol.

Alkylation of the sodium salt of 1-naphthol with benzyl bromide provides DuP-654. Alternatively, condensation of 1-tetralone (I) with benzaldehyde (II) in the presence of potassium hydroxide yields 2-benzylidene-1-tetralone (III), which may be isomerized to DuP-654 using rhodium chloride or a soluble iridium complex. A mixture of (I) and (II) may also be directly converted to DuP-654 by treating with potassium tert-butoxide in refluxing tert-butanol.