A facile access to 4-substituted-2-naphthols via a tandem Friedel-Crafts reaction: a β-chlorovinyl ketone pathway.

A one-pot synthesis of 2-naphthol derivatives is accomplished using a tandem Friedel-Crafts reaction sequence. The developed methodology allows for a concomitant construction of up to three C-C bonds between readily available alkynes and phenylacetyl chloride derivatives by an intermolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation of alkynes followed by an intramolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation of β-chlorovinyl ketone intermediates.