Rhodium-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Coupling of Phenylheteroarenes with Alkynes or Alkenes

Abstract

Benzo-fused tri- to heptacyclic heteroarenes were effectively constructed by the rhodium-catalyzed dehydrogenative coupling of phenylheteroarenes with alkynes. Using alkenes as coupling partners, dehydrogenative alkenylation took place selectively on the phenyl moiety of phenylheteroarenes. Several experiments with deuterium-labeled substrates indicated that double C–H bond cleavages take place even in the reaction with alkenes