Benzofuran-7-yl-2,2,2-trifluoroethanols as unexpected products of the reaction of 7-trifluoroacetylbenzofurans with hydrazine hydrate

The acetylation of methoxy-activated benzofurans was successfully performed by reacting 4,6-dimethoxybenzofurans with trifluoroacetic anhydride. Unexpectedly, attempts to synthesize benzofuran-7-carbohydrazides through the reaction of 7-trifluoroacetylbenzofurans with hydrazine hydrate led to the formation of 4,6-dimethoxy-2-phenylbenzofuran-7-yl-2,2,2-trifluoroethan-1-ols. These results highlight an unexpected outcome, providing new insights into the chemistry of benzofurans.