Aromatizaiton of 2‐Carbonyl‐1‐Tetralones and Analogues via Aerobic Oxidation under Basic Conditions

1‐Tetralone‐2‐carboxylates have been shown to undergo aromatization in the presence of sodium hydride under blue light irradiation in DMSO, yielding 1‐hydroxy‐2‐naphthoates with yields ranging from 30% to 92%. This method is also effective for the aromatization of 2‐acyl‐1‐tetralones, 1‐tetralone‐2‐carboxamides, and related structures containing heteroarenes. Thus, it serves as a valuable synthetic approach for the preparation of 2‐carbonyl substituted 1‐naphthols. The proposed mechanism involves aerobic oxidation under light irradiation, leading to the formation of α,β‐unsaturated hydroperoxide intermediates, which subsequently produce the aromatized products.