Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed One-Pot Cascade Synthesis of Functionalized Isoquinolines

A highly efficient Rh(III)-catalyzed one-pot reaction for the synthesis of functionalized alpha-carbonyl isoquinolines from 2H-imidazoles and alkenes has been successfully developed. This type of structure is constructed by using a transition-metal-catalyzed cascade: C-H bond activation, alkenylation, annulation, and hydrolysis.