FeCl3-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts alkylation of 2-substituted furans with 2-nitrobenzhydrols

We have developed a FeCl3-catalyzed protocol for the Friedel-Crafts alkylation of 2-substituted furans with 2-nitrobenzhydrols. The described method allows for synthesizing 2-(2-nitrobenzyl)furans in good to high yields. We also demonstrated the synthetic utility of obtained 2-(2-nitrobenzyl)furan, which could be used for the synthesis of substituted oxazino[2,3-a]indole.