A convenient one‐pot synthesis of new 3‐(4‐aryl‐5‐oxo‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐ 4H ‐chromen‐2‐yl)‐ 2H ‐chromen‐2‐ones

Anhydrous zinc bromide catalysed reactions of arylidine‐3‐acetyl coumarins ( 1a‐c ) and 5,6‐benzoanalogs of arylidine 3‐acetyl coumarins ( 4a,4b ) with 1,3‐cyclohexanedione gives ‐(4‐aryl‐5‐oxo‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐4 H ‐chromen‐2yl)‐2 H ‐chromen‐2‐ones ( 3a, 3c ) and 5,6‐benzoanalogs of 3‐(4‐aryl‐5‐oxo‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐4 H ‐chromen‐2yl)‐2 H ‐chromen‐2‐one ( 5a,5b ). Under similar conditions arylidine‐3‐acetylcoumarins ( 1a, 1b,1d, 1e, 1f ) and 5,6‐benzoanalog of arylidine 3‐acetyl coumarin ( 4b ) react with 5,5‐dimethyl‐1,3‐cyclohexanedione (dimedone) yielding 3‐(4‐aryl‐7,7‐dimethyl‐5‐oxo‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐4 H ‐chromen‐2‐yl)‐2 H ‐chromen‐2‐ones ( 3d‐3h ) and the 5,6‐benzoanalog of 3.(4‐aryl‐7,7‐dimethyl‐5‐oxo‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐4 H ‐chromen‐2‐yl)‐2 H ‐chromen‐2‐one ( 5c ).