Differential Reactivity Pattern of Hybrid o-Quinodimethane Precursors: Strategic Expansion to Annulated Benzocycloalkanes via Rongalite

A hybrid benzocyclobutene (BCB) molecular frames embedding sultine or sulfone moiety has been synthesized via utilization of rongalite. The selective Diels-Alder reaction has been realized at sultine or sulfone terminus in the hybrid BCB system to prepare functionalized BCB molecular frames. The methodology has been generalized for assembling various benzocycloalkanes containing a sultine unit and the strategy has been expanded to generate various annulated benzocycloalkanes.