Synthesis of Substituted Benzenes via Bi(OTf)3-Mediated Intramolecular Carbonyl Allylation of α-Prenyl or α-Geranyl β-Arylketosulfones.

Intramolecular carbonyl allylation of α-prenyl or α-geranyl β-arylketosulfones 5 in the presence of molecule sieves (MS) affords substituted benzenes 6-7 in moderate to good yields. The facile transformation proceeds by a synthetic sequence starting with the α-prenylation or α-geranylation of 1 and the Bi(OTf)3-mediated annulation of 5 followed by a sequential desulfonative aromatization or then an intramolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation. A plausible mechanism has been studied and proposed.