One-pot synthesis of 5,6-dihydroxylated benzo[b]furan derivatives

In the presence of sodium iodate and pyridine, several 5,6-dihydroxylated benzo[b]furan derivatives were synthesized via oxidation–Michael addition of β-dicarbonyl compounds with catechols in a one-pot procedure. The final products were confirmed by ESMS, NMR, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction study. The mechanism different from that of electrochemical methods was proposed based on DFT calculation.