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Australian Journal of Chemistry Australian Journal of Chemistry Society
An international journal for chemical science
RESEARCH ARTICLE

The Synthesis of 5-Hydroxy-3-methylnaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione and 5,8-Dihydroxy-1-methylnaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione

Matthew J. Piggott and Dieter Wege

Australian Journal of Chemistry 56(7) 691 - 702
Published: 30 June 2003

Abstract

5-Hydroxy-3-methylnaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione (1), a metabolite isolated from Aloe ferox and Bulbine capitata, has been synthesized by a sequence involving an annulation reaction between the anion of 4-methoxy-3-oxo-1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran-1-carbonitrile (8) and (E)-pent-3-en-2-one, followed by subsequent construction of the furan ring through allylic bromination, hydrolysis, and dehydration as the key steps. The formation of several unusual products observed in annulation reactions between (8) and O-protected derivatives of (E)-5-hydroxypent-3-en-2-one (9) can be rationalized by invoking the intermediacy of a reactive o-quinone methide. 5,8-Dihydroxy-1-methylnaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione (2), another naturally occurring naphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione, has been prepared by a Friedel–Crafts acylation of 1,4-dimethoxybenzene with 2-methylfuran-3,4-dicarbonyl dichloride. Arguments are presented that 5,8-dihydroxynaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione is a better structural representation than the alternative 4,9-dihydroxynaphtho[2,3-c]furan-5,8-dione tautomer in such systems, as the latter would contain a reactive isobenzofuran moiety.

https://doi.org/10.1071/CH02253

© CSIRO 2003

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