Triflic Acid-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization Reactions of Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes: Access to Alkyl 5-Arylfuran-2-carboxylates.

A direct synthetic strategy starting from alkyl 1-alkoxy-2-aroylcyclopropanecarboxylates was developed for the construction of alkyl 5-arylfuran-2-carboxylates. These donor–acceptor cyclopropanes smoothly undergo a simple ring-opening reaction or/and cycloisomerization reaction in the presence of acid at room temperature, which greatly depends on the properties of the acid used in the experiment. Alkyl 5-arylfuran-2-carboxylates were afforded in high yields in triflic acid, whereas alkyl 2,5-dioxo-5-phenylpentanoate became the major product in other protic acids and Lewis acids.