Microwave-assisted combined Mitsunobu reaction–Claisen rearrangement and microwave-assisted phenol oxidation: rapid synthesis of 2,6-disubstituted-1,4-benzoquinone natural products

Microwave irradiation of a phenol, an allylic alcohol, di-isopropyl azodicarboxylate and triphenylphosphine at 220–240 °C for 30 min results in a combined Mitsunobu reaction and Claisen rearrangement to give the rearranged 2-allylphenol. Following the first detailed study of microwave-assisted phenol oxidation, rapid syntheses of the natural products primin and 2-methoxy-6-pentadecyl-1,4-benzoquinone (four reaction steps, total reaction time 1 h) were achieved using this combined Mitsunobu–Claisen strategy in combination with two further microwave-assisted steps (alkene hydrogenation and phenol oxidation).