Steric hindrance in substituted dibenzofurans

Abstract
Ten alkyl-substituted dibenzofurans (3) have been synthesized by irridiation of the corresponding diphenyl ethers (4). 13C Chemical shift analysis indicates that some of the highly substituted compounds (3d, g–i) are probably twisted out of the molecular plane due to steric interaction of the substituents in the 1 and 9 positions.