The continuous flow reaction technique has been applied to the photocyclization of 1,2-diarylethenes, the so-called Mallory reaction, to afford phenacenes in high chemical yields and efficiencies (114–288 mg h−1). The present technique will allow us to produce several grams of phenacenes at a time.
Abstract Various phenacenes possessing chrysene, picene, and fulminene frameworks were prepared by using a continuous-flow synthetic protocol in which Wittigreaction affording diarylethenes and their Mallory photocyclization producing phenacene skeletons were sequentially performed. The Wittigreaction solution, containing the diarylethene obtained from an arylaldehyde and an arylmethyltriphenylphosphonium