1,4-Difluoro-2,5-dimethoxybenzene as a precursor for iterative double benzyne-furan Diels-Alder reactions

[reaction: see text] The use of 1,4-difluoro-2,5-dimethoxybenzene as a novel precursor for iterative two-directional benzyne-furan Diels-Alder reactions, using a range of 2- and 3-substituted furans, is reported. Substituted oxabenzonorbornadienes were synthesized following the initial Diels-Alder reaction, which upon ring opening under acidic conditions gave substituted naphthol derivatives. Highly substituted anthracenols were generated in the second benzyne-furan Diels-Alder reaction following acid-catalyzed isomerization of the cycloadducts.