Abstract
A series of 2,5-diaroyl-3-arylthiophenes were obtained from the 3+2-self annulation of bis(aroylmethyl) sulfides in the presence of sodium hydroxide. This transformation occurs presumably via a tandem intermolecular condensation - ring closing intramolecular displacement-aromatization via air oxidation and elimination sequence.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank DST, New Delhi for their assistance under the IRHPA program for the nuclear magnetic resonance facility. One of the authors (NP) thanks UGC, New Delhi for a research fellowship.