A concise synthesis of 1-substituted-2-tetralones by selective diol dehydration leading to ketone transposition

Dehydration of 1-substituted-1,2-tetralindiols with zinc iodide afforded the corresponding 2-tetralones in excellent yields. This procedure was found to be superior to the more conventional BF3-catalyzed rearrangement of 1-substituted-1,2-epoxytetralins.