The original Hoesch reaction was modified by employing a mixture of HZnCl2(OH) and ZnCl2 as the catalyst for the preparation of compound 4. Total synthesis of the natural product, Coccineone B, was achieved using compound 4 as a key intermediate. A low-temperature mass spectrometry technique was used to clarify the mechanism of the Hoesch reaction through the easy and exact identification of isotopic clusters.
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