Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Benzyl Ketones and α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyl and Phenolic Compounds with o-Dibromobenzenes to Produce Cyclic Products

A number of carbonyl and phenolic compounds efficiently couple with o-dibromobenzenes in the presence of a palladium catalyst and a base to give the corresponding oxygen-containing heterocycles or carbocyclic compounds. Thus, from the reactions of benzyl phenyl ketones, 1-naphthols, and α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones, benzofuran, benzopyran, benzocyclobutane, and indene derivatives, respectively, are produced selectively via the successive formation of C–C and C–O bonds or of two C–C bonds.