Palladium(II)–phosphine complexes, especially PdCl2(dppf) where dppf stands for 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene, are effective catalysts for the cross-coupling of Grignard reagents with dichlorobenzenes to produce selectively mono-alkylated and arylated benzenes. The addition of ligands is also effective for the cross-coupling of Grignard reagents containing a β-hydrogen(s).

Dehydroabietic acid methyl ester (1) was converted into 7-acetoxydehydroabietic acid methyl ester by direct electrooxidation in acetic acid and 7-oxodehydroabietic acid methyl ester by ruthenium dioxide-mediated oxidation. Non-Kolbe type electrodecarboxylation of 1 resulted in the introduction of a double bond into the ring A of 1.

1,2,3-Tri-t-butyl-8-methyl- (1a), 1,2,3-tri-t-butyl-6-methyl-8-bromo- (1b), and 1,2,3-tri-t-butyl-8-bromo-naphthalene (1c) were synthesized. They underwent thermally forbidden electrocyclic reaction to give hemi-Dewar-naphthalenes (2a,b,c). Interconversion between 1 and 2 was thermally reversible. Energy profiles for the reactions were determined.