Copper‐Catalyzed Oxidative Dearomatization of 2‐Naphthols via Etherification

Copper‐catalyzed intermolecular oxidative‐etherification type dearomatization reaction of 2‐naphthols was developed. With air as the terminal oxidant, the reaction proceeded in excellent yields under mild conditions. In addition, the reaction between two different naphthol substrates occurred smoothly. A series of multifunctionalized β‐naphthalenones, important scaffold existed widely in natural products and biologically active molecules, were synthesized efficiently.