Five-Membered 2,3-Dioxo Heterocycles: XLV. Thermolysis of 5-Aryl-4-phenyl-2,3-dihydrofuran-2,3-diones in the Absence of Other Partners and in the Presence of Carbonyl Compounds

Aroyl(phenyl)ketenes generated by thermolysis of 5-aryl-4-phenyl-2,3-dihydrofuran-2,3-diones undergo [4+2]-cyclodimerization to 3-aroyl-6-aryl-3,5-diphenyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran-2,4-diones. Heating of the latter leads to rearrangement with formation of 4-aroyloxy-6-aryl-3,5-diphenyl-2H-pyran-2-ones. Thermolysis of 5-aryl-4-phenyl-2,3-dihydrofuran-2,3-diones in the presence of carbonyl compounds yields 6-aryl-5-phenyl-4H-1,3-dioxin-4-ones.