Benzofchromane derivatives have versatile applications in organic synthesis and bioactive molecule construction. Herein, we report a manganese-catalyzed coupling of primary allylic alcohols with naphthols, establishing a route to benzofchromanes via an acceptorless dehydrogenation strategy. Our protocol enabled efficient coupling of a series of primary allylic alcohols with naphthol derivatives, delivering valuable benzofchromanes with high diastereoselectivity (dr up to > 20:1) in moderate to good yields (60%-86%). This methodology exhibits an extensive substrate scope (30 examples) and broad functional group compatibility.
Ma et al. (Thu,) studied this question.