MeOTf/KI-catalyzed efficient synthesis of 2-arylnaphthalenes via cyclodimerization of styrene oxides

Song Zou; Zeyu Zhang; Chao Chen; Chanjuan Xi

doi:10.1039/d1ob01619a

MeOTf/KI-catalyzed efficient synthesis of 2-arylnaphthalenes via cyclodimerization of styrene oxides

Org Biomol Chem. 2021 Oct 14;19(39):8559-8565. doi: 10.1039/d1ob01619a.

Authors

Song Zou¹, Zeyu Zhang¹, Chao Chen¹, Chanjuan Xi^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. chenchao01@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn.
² State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.

PMID: 34558593
DOI: 10.1039/d1ob01619a

Abstract

The MeOTf/KI-catalyzed synthesis of 2-arylnaphthalene derivatives from aryl ethylene oxides in alcohol under ambient conditions is described. The present protocol has a higher atom efficiency and wider substrate applicability with excellent yields. The reaction proceeded using the aryl ethylene oxides to give 2-arylnaphthalenes either in homo-coupling or in cross-coupling. The reaction could also be carried out at the gram scale in minutes.