Thiophene end-capped aromatic analogues, that is, naphthothiophenes, naphthodithiophenes, pyrenothiophene, and benzotrithiophene, can be prepared from commercially available hydroxyarenes in two steps, including (1) a consecutive acid- mediated nucleophilic aromatic substitution of hydroxyarenes with 2-mercaptoethanol, followed by cyclization to form an arene-fused dihydrothiophene, and (2) oxidation of the ...