Reductive opening of 1H,3H-benzo[de]isochromene: synthesis of 1,8-difunctionalised naphthalenes

The lithiation of 1H,3H-benzo[de]isochromene () with lithium and a catalytic amount of 4,4′-di-tert-butylbiphenyl (DTBB, 5% molar) in THF at −50 °C gives dianionic intermediate , which by reaction with different electrophiles {H2O, D2O, tBuCHO, PhCHO, Me2CO, (CH3CH2)2CO, [CH3(CH2)4]2CO, (CH2)5CO, (CH2)7CO, (−)-menthone} at the same temperature followed by hydrolysis leads to functionalised alcohols . If after addition of a carbonyl compound as the first electrophile [tBuCHO, (CH2)5CO, (−)-menthone], the resulting dialcoholate is allowed to react at 0 °C, a second lithiation takes place to give intermediate which by reaction with a second electrophile [H2O, tBuCHO, (CH2)5CO, CO2], yields, after hydrolysis, 1,8-difunctionalised naphthalenes . Cyclization under acidic conditions of diols gives oxygen-containing eight-membered heterocycles, which are homologous to the starting material .