(3+3) Annulation of Nitroallylic Acetates with Stabilized Sulfur Ylides for the Synthesis of 2-Aryl Terephthalates

A novel (3 + 3) annulation approach has been developed for the synthesis of 2-aryl terephthalates from nitroallylic acetates and stabilized sulfur ylides. The 2-aryl terephthalates, which are also biaryls bearing a terephthalate moiety, are formed through a cascade of reactions such as a gamma-selective S(N)2' reaction, gamma-selective intramolecular Michael addition, and two eliminations in the presence of Cs2CO3 in CH3CN at room temperature. The products are formal precursors of farnesyltransferase inhibitors and are also potential monomers in polymer chemistry.