New ‘2-phenylnaphthalene’-mediated synthesis of benzo[b]naphtho[2,3-d]furan-6,11-diones and 6-oxa-benzo[a]anthracene-5,7,12-triones: first total synthesis of 6-oxa-benzo[a]anthracen-5-ones

We describe here a novel synthesis of benzo[b]naphtho[2,3-d]furan-6,11-diones based on the heteroannulation of 2-(2-bromophenyl)-3-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinones. The naphthoquinones were prepared from 3-(2-bromophenyl)naphthalen-2-ols, which were obtained by intramolecular aldol condensation of 2-[3-(2-bromophenyl)-2-oxo-propyl]benzaldehydes. Alternatively, benzo[b]naphtho[2,3-d]furan-6,11-diones were obtained more directly and efficiently by cyclization of 3-(2-bromophenyl)naphthalen-2-ols to benzo[b]naphtho[2,3-d]furans and oxidation of the resulting compounds. Furthermore, the first 6-oxabenzo[a]anthracen-5-one described was similarly obtained from 2-[3-(2-formylphenyl)-2-oxopropyl]benzoic acid and oxidized to 6-oxa-benzo[a]anthracene-5,7,12-trione.