Intramolecular dehydro Diels-Alder reactions of diarylacetylenes: switching between benzo[b]- and benzo[c]fluorenones as products by controlling the rearrangement of cyclic allene intermediates.

Thermal cyclization of 1-[2-(arylethynyl)phenyl]-3-trimethylsilylpropynones affords a mixture of benzo[b]fluorenones and benzo[c]fluorenones. The ratio of the two isomers can be efficiently varied between 100:0 and 0:100 by introducing substituents with appropriate electronic and steric properties on the aryl rings and using an appropriate solvent.