6: 8-Dimethyl-3: 4-benzfluorenone (I; R and R,= Me, R,= H) was prepared by condensation of 5-iodo-m-xylene with methyl 1-bromo-2-naphthoate in presence of copper-bronze, and ring closure of the lm-5 '-xyZylna $~ hthalene-2-carboxyZic acid (I1; R,= H, R and R,= Me) so