The Ring‐Opening Reaction of Benzofuran Involving the Cleavage of C−O Bond

Abstract

Ring‐opening of (di)benzofurans is a significant area of research in organic chemistry, offering versatile and direct synthetic strategies to access valuable functional phenol derivatives. Transition metal catalysis, particularly nickel‐catalyzed reactions, has been extensively explored for the selective cleavage of the C–O bond in (di)benzofuran. Metal‐free methods, such as acid catalysis and strong base‐mediated process, have also emerged as important alternatives. Organometallic reagents, including Grignard and organolithium reagents, play a pivotal role in promoting efficient C–O bond activation. The field of (di)benzofuran ring opening holds great promise for the synthesis of complex molecules with diverse applications in pharmaceuticals, materials science, and fine chemical synthesis. Continued research efforts will pave the way for innovative strategies and broaden the utility of (di)benzofuran derivatives in various fields.

Iron‐Catalyzed C−H Alkylation/Ring Opening with Vinylbenzofurans Enabled by Triazoles

“…[9] The synthetic accessibility of these heterocycles and their targeted functionalizations, contributed to their use as key building blocks in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. [10] Among the synthetic transformations of benzofurans, metal-catalyzed ring-opening reactions are the most versatile as they open access to valuable, highly complex phenol derivatives (Scheme 1, b). [11] However, these reactions are challenging, because of the inherent stability of the high-energetic CÀ O bond [12] and often limited in terms of applicability.…”