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8332665 
Journal Article 
Studies on the synthesis of precocenes. The photo-Fries rearrangement of esters of α, β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and Meta-oxygenated phenols 
Miranda, MA; Primo, J; Tormos, R 
1988 
Yes 
Heterocycles
ISSN: 0385-5414 
27 
3 
673-681 
English 
The photo-Fries rearrangement of a series of aryl esters of α β-unsaturated carboxylic acids 1a, b and 2 has been investigated, in order to explore the possibilities of this reaction as a key step in the synthesis of precocenes and related compounds. In all cases, the photolysis in hexane does not lead to any observable transformation, but in the presence of potassium carbonate takes place a migration of the acyl group to the two ortho-positions. Additionally, trans-cis photoisomerization occurs with the trans-butenoate 1b. The resulting o-hydroxyketones 4a, 4b, 4c, 5a, 5b, 5c, and 8 are easily and efficiently cyclized to the corresponding 4-chromanones 6a, 6b. 7a, 7b, and 9. A second photo-rearrangement is observed in the case of 9, although the yield is low, due to deactivation by the carbonyl group. Cyclization of 10 gives rise to the tricyclic dichromanone 11. Compounds 6a and 11 are reduced and subsequently dehydrated by known procedures to afford the active chromenes 3 and 12. © 1988.