Ferric trichloride in acetic anhydride has been used in the acylation
and dimerization-acylation of precocene II. The acylation of this anti
juvenile hormone occurs in the chromene ring and not in the aromatic o
ne, whilst in the dimers obtained one of the benzenic rings was acylat
ed. In this reaction the first trimer of precocene II has also been ob
tained. The same reaction was studied using ZnBr2 as Lewis acid. (C) 1
997 Elsevier Science Ltd.