AbstractIn order to develop a method for synthesizing 7‐substituted derivatives of benzo[b]‐thiophene, the benzo[b]thiophene analog of 1‐tetralone, 7‐oxo‐4, 5, 6, 7‐tetrahydrobenzo‐[b]thiophene has been synthesized using as starting material the readily accessible 3‐bromothiophene. The structure of this ketone has been verified by elemental analysis, spectra and conversion to derivatives of benzo[b]thiophene of known structure. Several hitherto unreported 7‐substituted derivatives of benzo[b]thiophene have been prepared from