Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed Arylative Annulation of β-Alkynyl Ketones for Preparation of Fused Aromatics

Rhodium(I)-catalyzed addition of arylboronic acids to beta-(arylethynyl) ketones proceeds through 1,4-rhodium migration to afford 4-(arylmethylene)tetralin-1-ols, which upon treatment with triflic anhydride furnish (arylmethyl)naphthalenes through sequential dehydration-aromatization. Fused aromatic compounds with three to five rings have been prepared using the arylative annulation strategy.