This thesis is divided into three chapters. In the first, the methods currently available for the synthesis ofphenols from acyclic precursors are reviewed. The review concentrates on methods that have been usedto form a range of phenols and is divided up according to the type of chemistry employed. The secondchapter describes the development of a novel route to phenols. Initial optimisation results are describedfirst, followed by the synthesis of a library of phenols. The majority of these have not been reportedpreviously. The attempted extension of this work to the formation of anilines, nitrobenzenes and morehighly oxygenated aromatics is also presented. Finally, work towards the synthesis of the aglycone ofpseudopterosin A is described, following a route that would utilise the phenol-forming chemistry in amore complex natural product environment. The final section details the experimental procedures usedto form the compounds described in section two, along with associated spectroscopic data.