STUDIES IN THE BENZANNULATION OF A CYCLOALKYNONE - AN APPROACH TO THE SYNTHESIS OF ANTIBIOTICS CONTAINING THE BENZ[A]ANTHRACENE CORE STRUCTURE

The chromium(0)-carbene complex benzannulation reaction was shown to be applicable to cyclodec-4-yn-1-one. Significant regioselectivity was realized in this reaction with ortho-substituted benzylchromium complexes. Reactions of a novel resultant fused cyclodecenone-naphthoquinone with several bases have been studied. Products apparently arising from either intramolecular Michael addition of a ketone enolate to the quinone or intramolecular aldol condensation of a quinone-stabilized anion with the ketone have been observed. The latter mode constitutes a route to the title substructure and, in principle, provides a route to reach certain angucycline antibiotics.