In the present study, biomass-derived furans were identified as desirable feedstock for synthesizing benzo [b]furans via a simple one-pot reaction under mild conditions. Under a typical reaction condition, i.e. 75 vol% acetic acid solution and 5 wt% AlCl₃ catalyst at 140 °C for 2 h, benzo [b]furan can be synthesized from furan with a yield of 31 wt% and a selectivity of 90%. Furthermore, a general reaction pathway was identified, i.e. various benzo [b]furans can be directly produced from two furans, except for when 2,5-dimethyfuran is the only reactant. This work opens a novel sustainable avenue to synthesize benzo [b]furan derivatives from furans with targeted substitutes.

在本研究中，生物质衍生的呋喃被确定为在温和条件下通过简单的一锅反应合成苯并[b]呋喃的理想原料。在典型的反应条件下，即75体积％的乙酸溶液和5 wt％的AlCl ₃催化剂在140°C下反应2小时，可以由呋喃合成苯并[b]呋喃，产率为31 wt％，选择性为90 ％。此外，确定了一般的反应途径，即可以从两种呋喃中直接生产出各种苯并[b]呋喃，只有2,5-二甲基呋喃是唯一的反应物。这项工作为从具有目标替代物的呋喃中合成苯并[b]呋喃衍生物开辟了一条可持续的新途径。