2-Alkoxyarenol-derived orthoquinols in carbon–oxygen, carbon–nitrogen and carbon–carbon bond-forming reactions

Silylated oxygen- and nitrogen-tethered orthoquinol acetates, generated by phenyliodine(III) diacetoxy-mediated oxidative acetoxylation of 2-alkoxyphenols in CH2Cl2 can be used to furnish regioselectively benzannulated heterocycles. Oxidative activation of 2-alkoxynaphthols with non-nucleophilic phenyliodine(III) bis(trifluoroacetoxy) in the presence of carbon nucleophiles, including oxidation sensitive silyl enol ethers, constitute a potentially valuable route to naturally occurring vicinally oxygenated benz[a]anthracene motifs.