Electrophilic Heteroannulation Strategy for the Synthesis of 2-Chalcogenbenzofurans

Significance

Reported is a heteroannulation strategy to benzofurans from 2-chalcogenalky­nylanisoles triggered by electrophilic reaction with either iodine, iodine chloride, bromine or phenyl-selenyl bromide. Although the proposed mechanism for the reaction is entirely reasonable if not highly likely, no evidence was provided to support it.