Direct Synthesis of 2-Methylbenzofurans from Calcium Carbide and Salicylaldehyde p-Tosylhydrazones.

A new methodology for the construction of methyl-substituted benzofuran rings from the reactions of calcium carbide with salicylaldehyde p-tosylhydrazones/2-hydroxyacetophenone p-tosylhydrazones is described. Various 2-methylbenzofurans and 2,3-dimethylbenzofurans could be obtained in satisfactory yield by using a cuprous chloride catalyst. The advantages of this protocol include the use of a readily available and easy-to-handle acetylene source and simple workup procedure.