Rh(III)-Catalyzed Oxidative C-H Activation/Domino Annulation of Anilines with 1,3-Diynes: A Rapid Access to Blue-Emitting Tricyclic N,O-Heteroaromatics.

Disclosed herein is a rhodium-catalyzed oxidative C-H activation/domino annulation of -Boc-anilines with 1,3-diynes for the construction of tricyclic N,O-heteroaromatics. This reaction features easily available substrates, mild reaction conditions, high regioselectivity, mono/diannulation selectivity, and intra/intermolecular annulation selectivity. Moreover, this synthetic protocol enables the rapid assembly of a library of blue-emitting molecules with high quantum yields, among of which two fluorophores with pure blue-emission in toluene are discovered.