An unexpected tetracyclic product isolated during the synthesis of biscoumarins catalyzed by [MIM(CH2)4SO3H][HSO4]: Characterization and X-ray crystal structure of 7-(2-hydroxy-4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)-6H,7H-chromeno[4,3-b]chromen-6-one

Under solvent-free conditions and in the presence of 3-methyl-1-(4-sulfonic acid)butylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate [MIM(CH2)4SO3H][HSO4], a Brønsted acidic ionic liquid, the reaction of aromatic aldehydes with 4-hydroxycoumarin has been investigated. A wide range of aromatic aldehydes easily undergoes condensation with 4-hydroxycoumarin to afford biscoumarins with good purity in excellent yields. However, reaction of 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde with 4-hydroxycoumarin gave, not the corresponding biscoumarin, but a tetracyclic compound, 7-(2-hydroxy-4-oxo-4H-chromen-3-yl)-6H,7H-chromeno[4,3-b]chromen-6-one, in high yield.

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► A Brønsted acidic ionic liquid was used as catalyst in the synthesis of Biscoumarins.
► Biscoumarins were prepared via the reaction of aryl aldehydes with 4-hydroxycoumarin.
► The reaction of 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde with 4-hydroxycoumarin gave a new compound.
► The new compound was characterized by spectral data and X-ray crystallography.