Switching the regioselectivity of acid-catalyzed reactions of arylnaphtho[2,1-]furans a [1,2]-aryl shift.

The [1,2]-aryl shift reaction was used to synthesize naphtho[2,1-]furans as promising fluorescent scaffolds for organic electronics. The target compounds are furan analogues of phenanthrene formally accessed by isosteric replacement of the CHCH moiety with an oxygen atom. The straightforward and robust approach involving a [1,2]-aryl shift as a key step provides easy access to a wide range of naphtho[2,1-]furans with the possibility of late-stage functionalization.