“…2 With these appealing utilities in mind, many synthetic strategies toward 1,4-NQs have been developed, including the Diels–Alder reaction of substituted 1,3-dienes with preexisting quinones, 3 the reaction of alkynes with metal carbonyls, 4 thermo cycloisomerization of cyclobutenones, 5 and the annulation of Fischer carbene complexes with alkynes. 6 Recently, Li et al reported an efficient transformation of 1,6-enynes into 1,4-naphthoquinones involving a Cu( ii )-catalyzed oxidative carbocyclization. 7 Later, Mal et al described a demethoxycarbonylative annulation of 3-nucleofugal phthalides with α -substituted acrylates to provide a succinct route to 1,4-NQs.…”