This invention relates to a method for preparing 1,4,5,8-tetramethoxynaphthalene compounds containing the characteristic
side chain of shikonin and their 6-fluoro derivatives. The method uses 2-fluoro-1,4-dimethoxybenzene or 2,5-difluoro-1,4-dimethoxybenzene as starting materials. After cyclization, ring-opening, and O-
methylation to construct the 1,4,5,8-tetramethoxynaphthalene core, an
aldehyde group is introduced at the 2-position via Vilsmeier-Haack
formylation. This is followed by addition with allyl
magnesium bromide to obtain an
allyl alcohol intermediate. Finally, a cross-metathesis reaction catalyzed by a Grubbs II catalyst is performed with 2-methyl-2-
butene to construct the characteristic
side chain of shikonin –CH(OH)CH2CH=C(CH3)2. This invention offers high yields, simple operation, avoids the use of highly toxic reagents, and successfully solves the problem of the difficulty in synthesizing 6-fluoro derivatives due to direct fluorination, providing a key intermediate for the development of novel
naphthoquinone drugs.