Synthesis 2010(7): 1083-1090  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1219237
PAPER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

A Simple and Efficient Oxidative Coupling of Aromatic Nuclei Mediated by Manganese Dioxide

Kailiang Wang, Yanna Hu, Zheng Li, Meng Wu, Zhihui Liu, Bo Su, Ao Yu, Yu Liu, Qingmin Wang*
State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Research Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, P. R. of China
Fax: +86(22)23499842; e-Mail: wang98h@263.net; e-Mail: wangqm@nankai.edu.cn;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 6 November 2009
Publication Date:
20 January 2010 (online)

Abstract

Oxidative intramolecular coupling of the aryl rings of various stilbenes for direct construction of the phenanthrene ring system is promoted efficiently by manganese dioxide-trifluoroacetic acid at room temperature in excellent yields. This approach is also applied to the intermolecular biaryl coupling of 2-naphthols, 2-naphthalenethiol, 2-naphthylamine, a phenol ether and a phenol under very mild conditions. An electron-transfer mechanism is proposed in which manganese dioxide acts as a two-electron oxidant.