Modular Copper-Catalyzed Synthesis of Chromeno[4,3-b]quinolines with the Utilization of Diaryliodonium Salts

A novel, highly modular synthetic method with high functional group tolerance was developed for the construction of chromenoquinoline derivatives from arylpropynyloxy-benzonitriles and diaryliodonium triflates via an oxidative arylation-cyclization path. The copper(I) chloride catalyzed reaction is presumed to involve the formation of highly active arylcopper(III) species.