Several substituted anthracenes, benz [a] anthracenes, dibenz [a, c] anthracene, and more complex ring system derivatives are formed by the cycloaddition of 1, 3-bis (trimethylsilyl) isobenzofuran (2) with arynes generated by LTMP-induced dehydrohalogenation of readily accessible haloaromatics. The cycloadducts undergo a novel acid-induced conversion to anthracenones. For several substrates this reaction is highly regioselective, allowing ...