We report herein the development of a palladium-catalyzed, multicomponent synthesis of indolizines. The reaction proceeds via the carbonylative formation of a high energy, mesoionic pyridine-based 1,3-dipole, which can undergo spontaneous cycloaddition with alkynes. Overall, this provides a route to prepare indolizines in a modular fashion from combinations of commercially available or easily generated reagents: 2-bromopyridines, imines and alkynes.
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