TiCl4 (or SnCl4)-promoted hetero-type benzannulation reactions using various (2,2-dichlorocyclopropyl)(thiophen-2-yl)methanols proceeded smoothly to produce uniquely substituted 4-chlorobenzothiophenes (five examples). The present approach involves the first distinctive thiophene formation from thiophene cores, in contrast to traditional methods of thiophene formation from benzene cores. The stereocongested (less reactive) Cl position in the obtained 4-chlorobenzothiophenes functioned successfully as the partners of three cross-coupling reactions: (i) a Suzuki–Miyaura cross-couplings using Pd(OAc)2/SPhos/K3PO4 catalysis (seven examples; 63–91%), (ii) a hydroxylation using KOH/Pd(dba)2/tBu-XPhos catalysis (85%), and (iii) a borylation using a B2(pin)2/Pd(dba)2/XPhos/NaOAc catalysis-provided 4-(pin)B-benzothiophene (58%).
A three-step reaction sequence for the gram-scale synthesis of 1-chloro-2,3-dimethyl-4-phenylnaphthalene was developed. (i) Stereoselective dichlorocarbene addition to methyl angelate afforded methyl (1S*,3S*)-2,2-dichloro-1,3-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate (78% yield, >98% purity, distillation). (ii) Addition reaction of two molar amounts of PhLi afforded (1S*,3S*)-2,2-dichloro-1,3-dimethylcyclopropyldiphenylmethanol (81% yield, >98% purity, recrystallization). (iii) Key SnCl4-mediated benzannulation produced the desired product (83% yield, >98% purity, recrystallization) with three contiguous reaction sites. Five derivatization examples including benzylic reactions and cross-couplings at the pendant Cl-position are demonstrated. Some relevant distinctive benzannulations are also discussed.
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