Facile synthesis of 1-naphthols through a copper-catalyzed arylation of methyl ketones with o-bromoacetophenones

The coupling reactions of simple methyl ketones with o-bromoacetophenones and subsquential cyclization reactions were realized to produce a range of 1-naphthols. These cascade reactions were initiated by a rare Cu-catalyzed arylation reaction of methyl ketones with aromatic bromides. (C) 2015 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.