A short-step convenient synthesis of 2-phenylbenzofuran from 3-phenylcoumarin

The reaction mechanism of chemical conversion of (E)-beta-[2-hydroxylphenylcthylene]benzeneethanol into 2-phenylbenzofuran by DDQ, which involves loss of one carbon unit, was characterized and described. Five naturally occurring 2-phenylbenzofurans of not only the isoflavonoid but also stilbenoid origin were synthesized by use of this chemical scheme, which proved that this new scheme is a useful tool for quick synthesis of 2-phenylbenzofurans.