ChemInform Abstract: A Room-Temperature, Copper-Catalyzed Cascade Process for Diethyl 2-Aryl-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-1,1(2H)-naphthalenedicarboxylate

A room-temperature cascade process for the formation of diethyl 2-aryl-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-1,1(2H)-naphthalenedicarboxylate is described by using a combination of Michael addition and copper-catalyzed α-arylation of malonic acid derivatives. The protocol worked well for a variety of 1-(2-iodoaryl)enones and displayed great functional group compatibility.