Studies on polycyclic thiaarenes: Part II. An improved synthesis of phenanthro[1,2-b]thiophene and a synthesis of acenaphtho[1,2-b]naphtho-[2,3-d]thiophene,a novel polynuclear thiaarene

An improved synthesis of phenanthro[1,2-b]thiophene ( 6 ) from 1-chloro-3,4-dihydrophenanthrene-2-aldehyde ( 2 ) by condensation with thioglycolate followed by hydrolysis, decarboxylation and dehydrogenation is described. A new polycyclic thiophene derivative 14 has also been prepared from acenaphthothiophene ( 7 ) by Friedel-Craft's reaction with phthalic anhydride followed by lactonisation of the keto carboxylic acid 9 and then reduction and finally cyclisation of the resultant aldehyde 13 .