Palladium-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of 2-Ethynylbiaryls to 9-Methylidene Fluorenes

Org Lett. 2022 Apr 15;24(14):2596-2600. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.2c00534. Epub 2022 Apr 7.

Abstract

A palladium-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 2-ethynylbiaryls to 9-methylidene fluorenes is described for the first time. The cycloisomerization of 2-ethynylbiaryls proceeded smoothly in the presence of weak acid at low temperature to afford 9-methylidene fluorenes in satisfactory to high yields. This new type of cycloisomerization of 2-ethynylbiaryls is operationally simple and scalable and exhibits high functional-group tolerance. Various synthetically useful functional groups, such as halogen atoms, as well as formyl, acetyl, methoxycarbonyl, cyano, and nitro groups, remain intact during the cycloisomerization of 2-ethynylbiaryls.