α-Bromoacrylic Acids as C1 Insertion Units for Palladium-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Synthesis of Diverse Dibenzofulvenes

Herein alpha-bromoacrylic acids have been employed as C1 insertion units to achieve the palladium-catalyzed [4 + 1] annulation of 2-iodobiphenyls, which provides an efficient platform for the construction of diverse dibenzofulvenes. This protocol enables the formation of double C(aryl)-C(vinyl) bonds via a C(vinyl)-Br bond cleavage and decarboxylation. It is particularly noteworthy that the method features a broad substrate scope, and various interesting frameworks, such as bridged ring, fused (hetero)aromatic ring, and divinylbenzene, can be successfully incorporated into the products.

Automated summary

In this study, alpha-bromoacrylic acids were used as C1 insertion units in a palladium-catalyzed [4 + 1] annulation of 2-iodobiphenyls, leading to the efficient synthesis of diverse dibenzofulvenes. This method allows for the formation of double C(aryl)-C(vinyl) bonds through C(vinyl)-Br bond cleavage and decarboxylation, with a broad substrate scope allowing for the incorporation of various interesting frameworks into the products.