Transition
metal-controlled divergent annulation reactions of azomethine
imines with iodonium ylides via C-centered [1,2]-rearrangement
have been developed. The azomethine imino group, as a switchable and
transient directing group (DG), underwent intramolecular nucleophilic
addition and in situ generated bicyclic diaziridine,
which facilitated the C-centered [1,2]-rearrangement
and subsequent divergent annulations in the presence of different
metal complexes as the catalysts. The benzo[c]chromen-1-one
and pyrano[de]isochromene scaffolds could be independently
constructed with Rh(III) and Ru(II), respectively. It was worth noting
that the azomethine imino group was employed first as the switchable
DG through rearrangement progress