Furo-fused 2H-chromenes: synthesis and photochromic properties

Abstract

New photochromic chromenes annulated with a furan ring have been synthesized. Thus, suitable heterocyclic phenols react with different propargylic alcohols in acidic medium to give the corresponding ethers, which cyclize into benzopyrans by thermal Claisen rearrangement. This synthetic approach was found to lead to a mixture of linear and angular chromenes that is strictly related to the nature of the phenol. However, regiospecificity could be obtained by reacting β-phenylcinnamaldehyde, in refluxing aprotic nonpolar solvents, with titanium(IV) salts of the former phenols. Electrocyclization of intermediately generated o-quinoid structures occurs on the α position towards the heterocyclic junction. All compounds exhibit photochromic behavior at room temperature. Furo-fused benzopyrans are particularly interesting with respect to naphthopyran parents in view of the bathochromically shifted and broadened absorption spectra of photoinduced forms. This trend is confirmed by the spectral data of several heterocyclospiro(7H-furo[3,2-f] chromenes). The achievable color depends significantly on the relative position of annulation on the chromenic moiety and substitution on the sp3 carbon atom. Key words: photochromism, heterocycle, regiospecificity, 2H-chromene, furan.