“…Mechanistic Considerations.-We have previously suggested that reaction of 2-naphthol(l) with pentavalent organobismuth reagents (Ph,BiX or Ph,Bi) under neutral conditions involves the formation of an intermediate (4)3 possessing a covalent bismuth-xygen bond, and that the breakdown of this intermediate to give l-phenyl-2-naphthol (2) or 2-naphthyl phenyl ether (3) is determined by the nature of the ancillary group X (X = electron-withdrawing group or phenyl) in the intermediate (4). Our reason for postulating the existence of the intermediate (4) was provided by the observation that in addition to the product (3), benzene was also formed when 2-naphthol (1) was treated with tetraphenylbismuth trifluoro- acetate under neutral condition^.^ We postulated that the breakdown of the intermediate (4) occurred to give either 2-naphthyl phenyl ether (3) when the group X was strongly electron-withdrawing, or l-phenyl-2-naphthol (2) when the group X was phenyl. In accord with this postulate, 2-naphthol (1) and tetraphenylbismuth trifluoroacetate afforded, under neutral conditions with elimination of benzene only, the Ophenylated product (3),3 whereas 2-naphthol (1) and pentaphenylbismuth afforded only the C-phenylated product (2).…”