Synthesize 2,5-diphenyl furan from ethyl benzoate and ethyl acetoacetate.

Question

derivatives of furan

Answer 1

Actually

wikipedia

Answer 2

The Paal-Knorr synthesis of furans requires 1,4-diketones, in this case the diphenyl-1,4-diketone [1,4-Diphenyl-1,4-butanedione], which has the structure of Ph-C=O-CH2-CH2-C=O-Ph.

This can be prepared from the hydrodehalogenation of PhCOCHClPh, which can be made from Ethyl benzoylactetate.

Ethyl benzoylactetate can be prepared from ethyl benzoate and ethyl acetoacetate.