Synthesis of Substituted Benz(a]anthracene-7,12-diones Calcd for C16H1204, parent ion mle 268.073; found 268.071.Preparation of V. Into a pressure bottle was placed 0.09 g (0.43 mmol of III,25 mL of benzene, and a Teflon stirring bar. The solution was cooled to -78 "C and excess I was condensed in. The bottle was capped and the reaction flask was heated to 90 "C and stirred overnight. The flask was then cooled and vented and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure. The crude product was dissolved in 5 mL of hexane and poured into a column of alumina. Elution with hexane removed butadiene polymer. This wm followed by elution with 15% EtOAc/hexane to move the desired product from the column. The eluent was evaporated to yield 0.10 g (90%) of V (greenish crystals), whose spectral (UV, NMR) properties were identical with those of an authentic sample (Aldrich), mp 165-166 "C (lit. mp 166-167 "C).4 2-Methoxy-V was prepared as above by the reaction of 0.10 g (0.42 mmol) of 6-methoxy-111 and excess 9.7 g (200 mmol) of I to yield 0.11 g (91%) of V (yellow crystals), mp 195 "C (lit. mp 200 0C):28 NMR 6 9.2 (d, 1 H, J = 4 Hz), 8.3-8.0 (m, 4 H), 7.8-7.65 (m, 3 H), 7.3 (d, 1 H, J = 4 Hz), 4.0 (s, 3 H); IR, C=O 1670 cm-', C=C 1625; UV 2236 %, (e 1.93 X lo"), 2555 (1.71 X lo"), 2903 (9.5 X lo3), 3010 (8.25 X lo3), 44083-Methoxy-V was prepared as above by the reaction of 0.05 g (0.21 mmol) of 7-methoxy-I11 and excess 9.7 g (200 mmol) of I to yield 0.045 g (75%) of 3-methoxy-V (yellow crystals), mp 145 "C: NMR 6 9.5 (d, 1 H, J = 10 Hz), 8.3-7.9 (m, 4 h), 7.75-7.6 (m, 2 H), 7.