Synthesis and Rearrangement of Dewar Benzenes Into Biaryls: Experimental Evidence for Conrotatory Ring Opening

Abstract Rearrangement of aryl‐substituted Dewar benzenes into the corresponding biaryls may serve as an alternative pathway for synthesis of sterically hindered biaryls. The kinetic data obtained from thermal rearrangements of Dewar benzenes provide experimental evidence for the proposed orbital‐symmetry‐controlled electrocyclic ring opening. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)