Studies on quinones. Part 40: Synthesis and cytotoxicity evaluation of anthraquinone epoxides and isomerization products

Aerobic oxidation of Diels-Alder adducts of naphthoquinones and thiophene-analogues in dichloromethane-DBU provides access to quinone epoxides. Isomerization of anthraquinone epoxides with calcium hydroxide yielded cytotoxic angular quinones.