Tetrahedron Letters

An efficient synthesis of 4-chromanones

YL Zhong, DT Boruta, DR Gauthier, D Askin

Index: Zhong, Yong-Li; Boruta, David T.; Gauthier Jr., Donald R.; Askin, David Tetrahedron Letters, 2011 , vol. 52, # 38 p. 4824 - 4826

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Citation Number: 10

Abstract

Abstract A two step efficient and practical synthesis of a variety of 4-chromanones is described. Phenols undergo a Michael addition to acrylonitriles in the presence of catalytic amounts of potassium carbonate and tert-butanol to generate the corresponding 3- aryloxypropanenitriles in 50–93% yields. Treatment of the resulting aryloxypropionitriles with 1.5 equiv of TfOH and 5 equiv of TFA, followed by an aqueous work up afforded 4- ...