Highly regioselective reactions for the construction of polysubstituted benzenes 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, and 44-47 are described, including some remarkable site-selective halogenations. These have been employed in the synthesis of halo-, nitro-, amino-, and urethane- substituted stilbenes 37, 38, and 51-56. Ideas for thermal as well as photochemical cyclizations are presented and explored. Stilbene 54 led to the formation of ...
[Kruse, Lawrence I.; Ladd, David L.; Harrsch, Peter B.; McCabe, Francis L.; Mong, Shau-Ming; et al. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 1989 , vol. 32, # 2 p. 409 - 417]