An Efficient Synthesis and Substitution of 3-Aroyl-2-bromobenzo[<i>b</i>]furans

A convenient method for the synthesis of 2-bromo-3-aroyl-benzo[b]furans from readily accessible precursors has been developed. The 2-bromo group has been employed as a versatile synthetic handle in both palladium-mediated couplings and direct nucleophilic substitutions to give access to a wide range of 2-substituted-3-aroyl-benzo[b]furans.