The anions of 3-benzotriazolylphthalide (1) and of 2-(benzotriazolylme
thyl)benzonitrile (6) condense regioselectively with a range of Michae
l accepters to form 1,4-dihydroxynaphthalenes 4b-f and 1-amino-2,3-di(
methoxycarbonyl)naphthalene (9) in moderate to good yields.