1,2-Dihydro-3,10-dihydroxycyclobut[b]anthracene-4,9-dione, a key intermediate for 4-demethoxyanthracyclinones

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(00)94157-1

The title compound synthesized in four steps from bicyclo[4.2.0]octane-2,5-dione and o-phthaldehyde undergoes cleanly thermolytic intermolecular Diels-Alder reactions providing a general synthesis of 7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6,11-dihydroxy-5,12-naphthacenedino