Baker, Robert W.; Baker, Teresa M. (nee Nicoletti); Birkbeck, Anthony A., Journal of the Chemical Society. Perkin transactions I, 1991, # 6, p. 1589 - 1600
The annulation of phthalides with α-alkyl/arylacrylates in the presence of LDA/LHMDS is shown to directly give alkyl/aryl-1-naphthols. The method involving a novel dealkoxycarbonylation obviates the regiochemical issues in the synthesis of polysubstituted naphthalenes, and it forms the key step in a three-step total synthesis of arnottin I, a naphthobenzopyranone natural product.