2-Phenylbenzofuran (2-phenyl-benzo[b]furan) is a chemical compound that has the molecular formula CHO. It is a substituted benzofuran, with a phenyl group as the substituent.
Occurrence and synthesis 2-Phenylbenzofuran is a natural product, and its derivatives (known as 2-phenylbenzofurans) have been isolated from various plants, such as Artocarpus pithecogallus, legumes, and mulberries.
Because there is a substituent at position 2, this benzofuran compound cannot be synthesized by the Perkin rearrangement from a coumarin. However, an alternate sequence has been demonstrated: treatment of 3-phenylcoumarin with aluminium hydride followed by DDQ:
Applications 2-Phenylbenzofuran and its derivatives have been the subject of research on antioxidant drugs, butyrylcholinesterase inhibition, and leishmaniasis treatment.
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