Anthracenes are obtained in moderate to good yield by the simultaneous treatment of benzocyclobutenole and halobenzenes with LTMP in tetrahydropyran. In the key step of this one-pot process, 0-toluoyl anion intermediates from the known ring-opening of benzocyclobutenoxides add to halobenzene derived arynes. Methoxy-substituted benzocyclobutenols which are readily made regiospecifically by known methods also ...