Brønsted- and Lewis acid-catalyzed cyclization giving rise to substituted anthracenes and acridines

A versatile acid-catalyzed method for the preparation of symmetrically and unsymmetrically substituted 9,10-diphenylanthracenes is explored. Diveratrylmethanes are prepared and converted into 10-phenylanthracene-9-carbaldehydes by Lewis acid catalysis and into 9-phenylacridines by reduction.