Toward an integrated route to the vernonia allenes and related sesquiterpenoids

• Da Xu,
• Michael A. Drahl and
• Lawrence J. Williams

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2011, 7, 937–943, doi:10.3762/bjoc.7.104

• the direct formation of 21 via bromomethyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (Scheme 4). This reaction was inefficient and gave both the (E)- and (Z)-bromoolefins as well as dibromoolefin 20. Bromo group scrambling under basic Wittig reaction conditions is known [63], and the usual procedure for Wittig

• the reaction profile, as did varying the ratio of Wittig reagent relative to aldehyde (1–3 equiv), solvent (THF and toluene), and aldehyde concentration (0.035–0.09 M). The yield of the reaction was low under all the conditions examined (13–26%) [66]. The known behavior of

Intraannular photoreactions in pseudo-geminally substituted [2.2]paracyclophanes

• Henning Hopf,
• Vitaly Raev and
• Peter G. Jones

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2011, 7, 658–667, doi:10.3762/bjoc.7.78

• trans,trans-10 by a Wittig olefination, appears to be unstable in the solid state at room temperature, but in the refrigerator at −20 °C or in dilute (~0.1 M) solution in dichloromethane or chloroform it can be stored in the dark for at least 3 months without any detectable decomposition or

• product after 2 h of irradiation with a halogen 1 kW lamp, it appeared to be very unstable even below 0 °C, although it was stable enough for NMR identification. Wittig olefination of the irradiated mixture gave the divinylcyclobutane derivative 14 as the sole product and was isolable by column

• with the ylide prepared from cyclopropylcarbinyl triphenylphosphonium bromide and obtained in quantitative yield a product mixture consisting of the three possible diastereomers E,E-, E,Z- and Z,Z-22 (Scheme 8), the latter being the main product as is often observed in classical Wittig reactions

Construction of cyclic enones via gold-catalyzed oxygen transfer reactions

• Leping Liu,
• Bo Xu and
• Gerald B. Hammond

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2011, 7, 606–614, doi:10.3762/bjoc.7.71

• conjugated enone substructure has attracted the interest of synthetic chemists for decades. Among numerous methodologies, aldol condensations and Wittig-type reactions have been widely utilized [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Recently, it was found that conjugated enones could be generated from the

• oxygen transfer from a carbonyl group to a carbon–carbon triple bond, the so-called alkyne–carbonyl metathesis. This methodology has sparked the attention of the synthetic community, because it could serve as an efficient and atom-economic alternative to the Wittig reaction by the formation of a new

The preparation of 3-substituted-1,5-dibromopentanes as precursors to heteracyclohexanes

• Bryan Ringstrand,
• Martin Oltmanns,
• Jeffrey A. Batt,
• Aleksandra Jankowiak,
• Richard P. Denicola and
• Piotr Kaszynski

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2011, 7, 386–393, doi:10.3762/bjoc.7.49

• addition of a Grignard reagent to tetrahydro-4H-pyran-4-one, elimination of water, and hydrogenation of the olefin (Method 2A). Typical yields for Method 2A range from 20–30% [39][40]. The second route is the Wittig olefination of tetrahydro-4H-pyran-4-one followed by hydrogenation (Method 2B). Yields for

• the Wittig olefination of tetrahydro-4H-pyran-4-one range from 35–75% [41][42][43]. The third route (Method 2C) begins from tetrahydropyran-4-carboxylic acid: The acid chloride is reacted with a Grignard reagent, and the resulting ketone reduced under Wolff–Kischner conditions. Typical yields for this

• propyl (1a), pentyl (1b), 2-(4-trans-pentylcyclohexyl)ethyl (1c), or 4-propylphenethyl (1d) substituents (Figure 2). We investigate the preparation of appropriate diols 2 starting from malonate (Method 1B, Scheme 1) and glutaconate diesters (Method 1C) as well as appropriate tetrahydropyrans 3 via Wittig

Rh-Catalyzed rearrangement of vinylcyclopropane to 1,3-diene units attached to N-heterocycles

• Franca M. Cordero,
• Carolina Vurchio,
• Stefano Cicchi,
• Armin de Meijere and
• Alberto Brandi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2011, 7, 298–303, doi:10.3762/bjoc.7.39

• domino 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition/thermal rearrangement sequence, were converted by Wittig methylenation to the corresponding vinylcyclopropanes (VCPs), which underwent rearrangement to 1,3-dienes in the presence of the Wilkinson Rh(I) complex under microwave heating. The previously unexplored Rh(I

• the construction of other heterocyclic compounds by selective elaboration of the α-oxocyclopropane functionality, for example, to vinylcyclopropane (VCP) by simple Wittig olefination. The rearrangement of VCPs to cyclopentenes and dienes are well known processes [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] that

• influence of the N-heterocyclic system on the rearrangement, some model VCPs were generated by Wittig olefination of the α-oxocyclopropane group of functionalized oligocyclic spirocyclopropane-tetrahydropyridones and converted into the corresponding 1,3-dienes by treatment with Rh(PPh3)3Cl. Results and

Application of the diastereoselective photodeconjugation of α,β-unsaturated esters to the synthesis of gymnastatin H

• Ludovic Raffier and
• Olivier Piva

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2011, 7, 151–155, doi:10.3762/bjoc.7.21

• configuration of the C-6 centre of the target molecule was controlled. Keywords: amide; diastereoselective protonation; dienol; isomerisation; Wittig reaction; Introduction The photodeconjugation of α,β-unsaturated esters 1 – which bear at least one hydrogen atom on γ-position – allows a straightforward

• manumycin C (12) isolated from Streptomyces parvulus [13]. Different groups have investigated the synthesis of gymnastatins 10a–c [14][15][16], compounds 11 [17] and 12 [18]. In most cases, the lateral acid chain was prepared starting from (R)-2-methyloctanal by iterative Wittig reactions to build the

• first de novo total synthesis of gymnastatin H (10c). Results and Discussion Ethyl ester 14, readily prepared from hexanal by a Wittig–Horner reaction, was saponified and esterified under DCC activation with commercially available diacetone D-glucose (Scheme 3). Irradiation of 16 at 254 nm in methylene

Tandem catalysis of ring-closing metathesis/atom transfer radical reactions with homobimetallic ruthenium–arene complexes

• Yannick Borguet,
• Xavier Sauvage,
• Guillermo Zaragoza,
• Albert Demonceau and
• Lionel Delaude

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2010, 6, 1167–1173, doi:10.3762/bjoc.6.133

• ][13][14], ATRP [15][16][17][18], cyclopropanation [19], dihydroxylation [20], hydrogenation [21][22][23], hydrovinylation [24], isomerization [25][26][27][28], oxidation [29], or Wittig reactions [30], to name just a few [31]. In this contribution, we investigate the tandem catalysis of RCM/ATRC

Total synthesis of (±)-coerulescine and (±)-horsfiline

• Mukund G. Kulkarni,
• Attrimuni P. Dhondge,
• Sanjay W. Chavhan,
• Ajit S. Borhade,
• Yunnus B. Shaikh,
• Deekshaputra R. Birhade,
• Mayur P. Desai and
• Nagorao R. Dhatrak

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2010, 6, 876–879, doi:10.3762/bjoc.6.103

• Mukund G. Kulkarni Attrimuni P. Dhondge Sanjay W. Chavhan Ajit S. Borhade Yunnus B. Shaikh Deekshaputra R. Birhade Mayur P. Desai Nagorao R. Dhatrak Department of Chemistry, University of Pune, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411 007, Maharashtra, India 10.3762/bjoc.6.103 Abstract Wittig olefination–Claisen

• rearrangement protocol was applied to obtain 3-allyl oxindole. This oxindole was then converted to (±)-coerulescine and (±)-horsfiline. Keywords: alkaloids; Claisen rearrangement; Jones oxidation; spiro-oxindole; Wittig olefination; Introduction The spiro[pyrrolidin-3,3′-oxindole] ring system is a widely

• [31], dimethyldioxirane (DMDO) mediated oxidation [32], and by tandem intramolecular photocycloaddition–retro-Mannich reaction [33]. The Wittig olefination–Claisen rearrangement protocol [35] provides a ready access to 4-pentenals, which have served as versatile intermediates for the synthesis of a

(Pseudo)amide-linked oligosaccharide mimetics: molecular recognition and supramolecular properties

• José L. Jiménez Blanco,
• Fernando Ortega-Caballero,
• Carmen Ortiz Mellet and
• José M. García Fernández

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2010, 6, No. 20, doi:10.3762/bjoc.6.20

• carbodiimides via a tandem Staudinger-aza-Wittig type reaction with triphenylphosphine and an isothiocyanate, followed by the addition of a nucleophile (H2O, H2S, NH3, amines) (Figure 14). Although this second methodology is more straightforward and versatile than the first, only a few examples of

Enantioselective synthesis of tricyclic amino acid derivatives based on a rigid 4-azatricyclo[5.2.1.0^2,6]decane skeleton

• Matthias Breuning,
• Tobias Häuser,
• Christian Mehler,
• Christian Däschlein,
• Carsten Strohmann,
• Andreas Oechsner and
• Holger Braunschweig

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2009, 5, No. 81, doi:10.3762/bjoc.5.81

• oxidation of the alkene rac-13 (Scheme 3), which was available from the ketone rac-9 either by Wittig reaction or by a Tebbe-type olefination [31] using Mg, TiCl4, and CH2Cl2. Hydroboration/oxidation of rac-13 occurred highly diastereoselectively on the exo-side providing the desired endo-alcohol rac-14, as

• , and thus proximity-facilitated tandem hydride transfer/cyclization sequence [33]. Since the yields of rac-15 from the alkene rac-13 were low, we turned our attention to an alternative approach via the enol ether 18, which was available from 9 as a 1:1 mixture of E/Z-isomers by Wittig reaction with

• 12% yield from 9). The preparation of the amino acid 8a•HCl and the N-tosylamide 8b•HCl required the attachment of an endo-oriented acetic acid substituent at the position of the keto group in 9 (Scheme 5). Initial attempts to introduce such a side chain by Wittig or Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reactions

Ring strain and total syntheses of modified macrocycles of the isoplagiochin type

• Andreas Speicher,
• Timo Backes,
• Kerstin Hesidens and
• Jürgen Kolz

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2009, 5, No. 71, doi:10.3762/bjoc.5.71

• moiety (see 7), from which a Z double bond (for 5) or an E double bond may be obtainable by Lindlar-type hydrogenation and (for 6) by subsequent Z → E isomerization (Scheme 2). The final ring closure using a McMurry protocol (probably more rigorous for ring-strained frameworks than the Wittig-protocol in

• boronic acid 22 with the bromoarene 16 under carefully optimized conditions followed by acidic workup afforded the hydroxyaldehyde 27 as precursor for cyclization (Scheme 6). A cyclization protocol for the intramolecular Wittig reaction, well established [15][20] for the synthesis of the tetramethyl ether

Mitomycins syntheses: a recent update

• Jean-Christophe Andrez

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2009, 5, No. 33, doi:10.3762/bjoc.5.33

Green oxidations: Titanium dioxide induced tandem oxidation coupling reactions

• Vineet Jeena and
• Ross S. Robinson

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2009, 5, No. 24, doi:10.3762/bjoc.5.24

• to extend the methodology, a preliminary investigation into a titanium dioxide mediated tandem Wittig reaction was attempted in which the intermediate aldehyde is trapped by a stabilised phosphorane. Unfortunately, NMR spectroscopic analysis revealed a multitude of peaks, none of which were

An expedient synthesis of 5-n-alkylresorcinols and novel 5-n-alkylresorcinol haptens

• Kirsti Parikka and
• Kristiina Wähälä

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2009, 5, No. 22, doi:10.3762/bjoc.5.22

• Helsinki, Finland 10.3762/bjoc.5.22 Abstract The first synthesis of bioactive long alkyl chain 5-n-alkylresorcinols, present in whole grain products, by a novel modification of the Wittig reaction is described. All the main long chain 5-n-alkylresorcinols present in rye and wheat, including C23 and C25

• way for the immunochemical detection techniques of alkylresorcinols. Keywords: 5-n-alkylresorcinols; haptens; microwave assisted synthesis; Wittig reaction; Introduction 5-Alk(en)ylresorcinols and related compounds are phenolic lipids present in several families of plants (e.g. Gramineae

• -dimethoxybenzaldehyde (18–48% yields whenever reported) [22][23][24][25][26]. Additional synthetic methods have been developed for shorter chain AR (Wittig approach utilises the ozonolysis product of a pentadecylresorcinol (C15

Reversible intramolecular photocycloaddition of a bis(9-anthrylbutadienyl)paracyclophane – an inverse photochromic system. (Photoactive cyclophanes 5)

• Henning Hopf,
• Christian Beck,
• Jean-Pierre Desvergne,
• Henri Bouas-Laurent,
• Peter G. Jones and
• Ludger Ernst

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2009, 5, No. 20, doi:10.3762/bjoc.5.20

• structure and photochromic properties of 2 are reported in this paper. Results and Discussion 1 Synthesis Compound 2 was prepared from dialdehyde 3 using the Wittig reaction, as outlined in Scheme 1, in 48% yield. Dialdehyde 3 wasobtained in five steps from [2.2]paracylophane, a commercial product, in 72

• % overall yield as described previously [19]. Therefore, the overall yield of 2 from the parent cyclophane was found tobe 35% on the gram scale. The Wittig reaction provides a mixture of cis and trans isomers, but the pure all-trans isomer was isolated by crystallization as orange crystals (see Experimental

• structure of 4 (1,4 : 2′,3′-cycloadduct). Preparation of 2 (last step), using the Wittig reaction. The preparation of 3 has been described in ref [19]. Angles between various partial planes in molecule 2 in the crystal. Supporting Information Supporting Information File 40: Thermal dissociation of

Convenient methods for preparing π-conjugated linkers as building blocks for modular chemistry

• Jiří Kulhánek,
• Filip Bureš and
• Miroslav Ludwig

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2009, 5, No. 11, doi:10.3762/bjoc.5.11

• and 4-bromobenzyl(triphenyl)phosphonium bromide [37] by the Wittig reaction [37][38] in 37 and 54% yields, respectively. In contrast to the Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reaction, this procedure afforded both (E)- and (Z)-stilbenes that were isomerized by heating with traces of iodine in toluene to afford

Synthesis and redox behavior of new ferrocene- π-extended- dithiafulvalenes: An approach for anticipated organic conductors

• Abdelwareth A. O. Sarhan,
• Omar F. Mohammed and
• Taeko Izumi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2009, 5, No. 6, doi:10.3762/bjoc.5.6

• the modified Wittig–Horner cross-coupling reaction using n-BuLi/THF at temperature varies from −78 °C to 0 °C. These new classes of bis(1,3-dithiafulvalene)ferrocenes have the 1,3-dithiole ring system separated by ferrocene as conjugated spacer. The ferrocene-dithiafulvalenes derivatives 9 and 12 were

• these systems [27]. Results and Discussion In this work we synthesized a series of novel 1,1′-bis[(1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene)heteroaryl/aryl]ferrocene [1,1′-bis(1,3-DTF)Fc] derivatives as new electron donor compounds using the direct Wittig–Horner cross coupling reaction. The starting 1,1′-diacylferrocene

• ′-diacetylferrocene (5b) with 1,3-benzodithiole-2-phosphonate (6) in dry THF in the presence of n-BuLi at −78 °C following the Wittig–Horner reaction method afforded the corresponding 1,1′-bis[(1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene)methyl]ferrocenes 7a and 7b in good yields (Scheme 1). The 1,1′-bis(1,3-dithiafulvalene)ferrocene 7a

Catalytic synthesis of (E)-α,β-unsaturated esters from aldehydes and 1,1-diethoxyethylene

• Rubén Manzano,
• Lidia Ozores,
• Andreas Job,
• Lars Rodefeld and
• Benjamin List

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2009, 5, No. 3, doi:10.3762/bjoc.5.3

• high yielding synthesis of α,β-unsaturated esters from aldehydes and 1,1-diethoxyethylene was developed. Keywords: 1,1-diethoxyethylene; α,β-unsaturated esters; Introduction A number of reactions transforming aldehydes into α,β-unsaturated esters have been developed and especially Wittig reaction

• variants are widely used [1]. A general problem with these approaches, however, is their unsatisfactory atom economy resulting in significant by-product formation (Scheme 1, eq 1–2). Alternatives have been suggested but a solution that is both as general and efficient as the Wittig procedures and

A facile synthesis and fungicidal activities of 2-(alkylamino)-5,6-dimethylthieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin- 4(3H)-ones

• Yang-Gen Hu,
• Ai-Hua Zheng,
• Xu-Zhi Ruan and
• Ming-Wu Ding

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2008, 4, No. 49, doi:10.3762/bjoc.4.49

• Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China 10.3762/bjoc.4.49 Abstract The aza-Wittig reactions of iminophosphorane 3 with aromatic isocyanates generated carbodiimides 4, which were reacted with alkylamines under mild conditions to give a series of 2-(alkylamino)-5,6-dimethylthieno[2,3

• activities against six kinds of fungi. Keywords: 2-(alkylamino)-5,6-dimethylthieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one; aza-Wittig reaction; fungicidal activity; synthesis; Introduction Over the past ten years, aza-Wittig reactions of functionalized iminophosphoranes with isocyanates have been applied to produce

• interested in the synthesis of a series of new heterocyclic compounds via aza-Wittig reaction of α- or β-(ethoxycarbonyl)-substituted iminophosphoranes with aromatic isocyanates and subsequent reaction with various nucleophiles under mild conditions [11][12][13][14]. Herein we wish to report an efficient

Recent progress on the total synthesis of acetogenins from Annonaceae

• Nianguang Li,
• Zhihao Shi,
• Yuping Tang,
• Jianwei Chen and
• Xiang Li

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2008, 4, No. 48, doi:10.3762/bjoc.4.48

• utilizing Wu’s own methodology. Wittig reaction of the aldehyde 37 and the Wittig reagent 38 furnished the butenolide unit 39. The tetrahydrofuran part of 22 was constructed from D-glucose via epoxide 40. The entire carbon skeleton of 41 was constructed by Pd(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between 39

• building block 45 by means of the Sharpless AD reaction and cyclization catalyzed by Co(modp)2 (the Mukaiyama epoxidation method) under mild reaction conditions. The connection of the THF unit 46 with the γ-lactone segment 47 was carried out by means of a Wittig reaction. The target compound 42 had

• conditions resulted in a smooth conversion of the starting material into THF 89. Triol (+)-90 was obtained with lipase Amano AK desymmetrization. For the appropriate side chain attachment, the termini were differentiated to give lactone (−)-91. Reduction of (−)-91 followed by a Wittig reaction yielded fully

End game strategies towards the total synthesis of vibsanin E, 3-hydroxyvibsanin E, furanovibsanin A, and 3-O-methylfuranovibsanin A

• Brett D. Schwartz,
• Craig M. Williams and
• Paul V. Bernhardt

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2008, 4, No. 34, doi:10.3762/bjoc.4.34

• lithium aluminium hydride proceded smoothly, however, global oxidation caused significant problems yielding only very low amounts of aldehyde 52, which was not enough to attempt the Wittig reaction with 45 (Scheme 8). In the view of the diasppointing results obtained above (Scheme 8) all attention was

• . Installation of the furan ring system continued. Installation of the enol sidechain utilizing Wittig chemistry. Attempts to gain access to targets 50 and 51. Further attempts to gain access to target compound 51. Supporting Information Supporting Information File 9: Experimental Supporting Information File 10

Flexible synthesis of poison- frog alkaloids of the 5,8-disubstituted indolizidine- class. II: Synthesis of (-)-209B, (-)-231C, (-)-233D, (-)-235B", (-)-221I, and an epimer of 193E and pharmacological effects at neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

• Soushi Kobayashi,
• Naoki Toyooka,
• Dejun Zhou,
• Hiroshi Tsuneki,
• Tsutomu Wada,
• Toshiyasu Sasaoka,
• Hideki Sakai,
• Hideo Nemoto,
• H. Martin Garraffo,
• Thomas F. Spande and
• John W. Daly

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2007, 3, No. 30, doi:10.1186/1860-5397-3-30

• (-)-231C, (-)-221I and (-)-epi-193E on α4β2 and α7 nicotinic receptors, the most abundant subtypes in the mammalian brain. [4] Results and Discussion Reduction of the lactam 1 [1] with LiAlH4 followed by Swern oxidation of the resulting alcohol and Wittig reaction gave the olefin 3 in 78% overall yield

• (Scheme 1). Hydrogenation of the double bond in 3 with 10% Pd/C provided (-)-209B, whose spectral data were identical with reported values. [7] The lactam 1 was also converted to the alcohol 4, [1] which was transformed into (-)-235B" by Swern oxidation followed by Wittig reaction under high dilution and

• 'salt free' conditions (Scheme 1). The spectral data of synthetic (-)-235B" were identical with reported values. [8][9] Indolizidines (-)-231C [10] and (-)-233D [10] were synthesized from common intermediate 5 prepared from the alcohol 4. Thus, the Swern oxidation of 4 and then the Wittig reaction of

Flexible synthetic routes to poison- frog alkaloids of the 5,8-disubstituted indolizidine- class I: synthesis of common lactam chiral building blocks and application to the synthesis of (-)-203A, (-)-205A, and (-)-219F

• Naoki Toyooka,
• Dejun Zhou,
• Hideo Nemoto,
• H. Martin Garraffo,
• Thomas F. Spande and
• John W. Daly

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2007, 3, No. 29, doi:10.1186/1860-5397-3-29

• , followed by an Arndt-Eistert sequence of the resulting carboxylic acid. Reduction of both carbonyl groups in 14 with lithium aluminum hydride provided the alcohol, which was directly used for formation of Z-iodoolefin 15. Thus, the Dess-Martin periodinane oxidation [24] of the alcohol, followed by Wittig

• , CHCl3)) suggest that the absolute stereochemistry of natural 203A is 5S, 8R, 9S. We achieved the total synthesis of (-)-205A starting from 1 via 13 (Scheme 3). Lithium aluminum hydride reduction of 13 followed by Swern oxidation and Wittig reaction of the resulting aldehyde gave the olefin 17

An efficient synthesis of tetramic acid derivatives with extended conjugation from L-Ascorbic Acid

• Biswajit K. Singh,
• Surendra S. Bisht and
• Rama P. Tripathi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2006, 2, No. 24, doi:10.1186/1860-5397-2-24

• aldehydes. Wittig olefination followed by reaction of the resulting tetranolactonyl dienyl esters with different amines resulted in the respective 5-hydroxy lactams. Subsequent dehydration of the hydroxy lactams with p-toluene sulphonic acid afforded the dienyl tetramic acid derivatives. All reactions were

• compounds were determined on the basis of their spectroscopic data (Supporting Information File 1). Wittig olefination of aldehydes 7 and 8 with carbethoxymethylene triphenylphosphorane in THF at ambient temperature led to the formation of the respective exo-dienyl esters of the tetronolactones as a mixture

• studies. In such an earlier study, [37] with BuLi at -78°C used as the base for the Wittig olefination, lower yields and poor stereoselection was observed as compared to our uncatalysed ambient temperature reaction where ZZ isomers were predominantly formed. The Z configuration of the allylic alcohol was

Total syntheses of oxygenated brazanquinones via regioselective homologous anionic Fries rearrangement of benzylic O-carbamates

• Glaucia Barbosa Candido Alves Slana,
• Mariângela Soares de Azevedo,
• Rosângela Sabattini Capella Lopes,
• Cláudio Cerqueira Lopes and
• Jari Nobrega Cardoso

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2006, 2, No. 1, doi:10.1186/1860-5397-2-1

• metalation groups (DMGs) undergo competitive anionic [1,2] and [1,4] Wittig – carbamoyl rearrangements (paths a and b) [18][19] orientated by the groups R and DMGs (Figure 1). Conceptual combination of path b and the well established tandem DoM route to anthraquinones and heteroanthraquinones [20] led to the

• conjecture that, barring the competitive [1,2]–Wittig rearrangement, and one-pot route, 3 → 4 → 1, may be established in a direct manner without resort to DoM-derived benzamide intermediate, thereby establishing new carbonyl dianion equivalency 4 (see Scheme 1). We now report the versatility of this strategy