Cyclization of 2-(2-bromoethoxy)-acetophenones and 5-(ω-haloalkoxy)-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-ones – Formation of five- to eight-membered oxygen-containing heterocycles via intramolecular alkylation

Under basic conditions (lithium diisopropylamide or sodium hydride in THF) 2-(2-bromoethoxy)-acetophenones were transformed to 3,4-dihydro[1]benzoxepin-5(2H)-ones (homochromanones) in high yields. The preparation of novel tetrahydropyrano[2,3-b]pyrrol-6(2H)-ones and 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrolo[2,1-b][1,3]oxazin-6(8aH)-ones and spiro compounds was performed using similar cyclization in moderate to good yields.Key words: cyclization, lithiation, spiro heterocycles.