Rhodium‐Catalyzed Desulfination of Sodium Arenesulfinates and Oxidative Annulation with Alkynes

Abstract

AbstractPolycyclic aromatic compounds are widely used in materials science, so it is highly desirable to develop an efficient and practical approach to them. In this paper, a novel, efficient and practical method for the rhodium(III)‐catalyzed desulfination of sodium arenesulfinates and oxidative annulation with alkynes has been developed, and the corresponding polycyclic aromatic compounds with multiple substituents were prepared in moderate to good yields. The reactions proceeded through sequential rhodium(III)‐catalyzed desulfination, intermolecular addition of aryl‐Rh(III) complexes to dialkyl but‐2‐ynedioates and diarylalkynes, and intramolecular oxidative annulation via CH activation. The present method is the first example of the oxidative annulation of arene derivatives with two different alkynes. Therefore, it should afford a useful strategy for the synthesis of polycyclic aromatic compounds.magnified image