One-pot synthesis of sulfonyl dibenzosuberdiones In(OTf)-promoted double Friedel-Crafts reactions of oxygenated arylacetic acids with β-arylvinyl sulfones.

Under open-vessel atmosphere conditions, a one-pot easy-to-operate method for the construction of diverse sulfonyl dibenzosuberdiones is developed In(OTf)-promoted tandem double Friedel-Crafts reactions of oxygenated arylacetic acids with β-arylvinyl sulfones. A plausible mechanism is proposed and discussed in detail. This protocol allows for highly effective sequential intermolecular Michael addition, intramolecular ring-closure and α-benzylic oxidation the formation of two carbon-carbon single (C-C) bonds and one carbon-oxygen double (CO) bond.