2a-m react with fuming nitric acid in acetic anhydride to give 2-(nitromethyl)-(α-bromoacyl)polymethylbenzenes 3a-m in good isolated yields. Compounds 3a-j undergo the intramolecular nucleophilicsubstitution/cyclization in the presence of 1 equiv. of base either in benzene or N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) to provide the corresponding substituted 3-nitroindan-1-ones 4a-j in quantitative yields as mixtures
Sterically hindered acylarenes are deacylated to arenes in quantitative yields on heating in boiling 85% trifluoroacetic acid. Hindered arenecarboxylic acids undergo decarboxylation under the same conditions to give arenes in high yields.