Preparation of 3-(9-Anthryl)acrylates and 9-Aroylethenylanthracenes as Pi-Extended Anthracenes and Their Diels?Alder Type Adducts with Electron-Poor Dienophiles
(E)-3-(9-Anthryl)acrylates and (E)-9-aroylethenylanthracenes have been prepared by solventless Wittig olefination with conjugated phosphoranes. The (E)-3-(9-anthryl)acrylates were brominated to give (E)-3{[}10-\{9-bromoanthryl\}]acrylates, which could be subjected to Suzuki reactions with arylboronic acids to produce (E)-3-{[}10-\{9-arylanthryl\}]acrylates as pi-extended systems. The compounds thus prepared were subjected to Diels-Alder reactions, partly under solventless conditions.