Abstract
A new photochemical approach for the synthesis of various metabolites of benzo[b]fluoranthene has been investigated, involving an oxidative photocyclization reaction of substituted cis-stilbenes to form the phenanthrene moiety, and an intramolecular photoarylation to generate the five-membered ring system. This methodology allowed a highly convergent synthesis of various benzo[b]-fluoranthene metabolites including those with an additional phenol group in the peninsular ring.