Reactions of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate—X: Reaction with salicylaldehyde,ortho hydroxyacetophenone, 2-hydroxychalcones and 2,2′-dihydroxychalcones

Salicylaldehyde reacts with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate in benzene solution to give a mixture of dimethyl o-formylphenoxymaleate, dimethyl o-formylphenoxyfumarate, 2,3-dicarbomethoxychrom - 2 - en - 4 - ol, 2,3 - dicarbomethoxychrom - 3 - en - 2 - ol, dimethyl (2,3 - dicarbomethoxychrom - 2 - en - 4 - yl) - oxalacetate and dimethyl fumarate. 2,3 - Dicarbomethoxychrom - 3 - en - 2 - ol in this reaction is formed from 2,3 - dicarbomethoxychrom - 2 - en - 4 - ol through a benzopyrylium intermediate. The reaction of salicylaldehyde with excess of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, however, gives a mixture of 2,3 - dicarbomethoxychrom - 3 - en - 2 - ol and dimethyl (2,3 - dicarbomethoxychrom - 3 - en) - 2 - oxyfumarate. 2,3 - Dicarbomethoxychrom - 3 - en - 2 - ol itself reacts further with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate to give 2,3,12 - tricarbomethoxychrom - 3,4 - eno[2,3 - b] pyrone. Similarly, the reaction of o-hydroxyacetophenone with dimethyl acetylendicarboxylate gives a mixture of dimethyl o-acetylphenoxymaleate, dimethyl o-acetylphenoxyfumarate, 2,3 - dicarbomethoxy - 4 - methylchrom - 2 - en - 4 - ol and 2,3 - dicarbomethoxy - 4 - methylchrom - 3 - en - 2 - ol. Both 2-hydroxychalcone and 2 - hydroxy - 4′ - methoxychalcone give mixtures of chalcone - 2 - oxymaleate and chalcone - 2 - oxyfumarate. The reaction of 2,2t?-dihydroxychalcone, however, gives 2′-hydroxyflavone, in addition to the expected maleate and fumarate. Similar reactions of 5 - chloro - 2,2′ - dihydroxychalcone and of 3,5 - dibromo - 2,2′ - dihydroxychalcone, on the other hand, give 2,3 - dicarbomethoxy - 4 - (o - hydroxyphenacyl) - 6 - chlorochrom - 2 - ene and 2,3 - dicarbomethoxy - 4 - (o - hydroxyphenacyl) 6,8 - dibromochrom - 2 - ene, respectively, together with the corresponding maleates and fumarates.