Rh(I)-Catalyzed Carbene Migration/Carbonylation/Cyclization: Straightforward Construction of Fully Substituted Aryne Precursors

The Rh(I)-catalyzed cascade formation of carbenoid followed by a carbonylative cyclization of silyl diynes has been established to achieve diverse ortho silyl-substituted phenolics, enabling access to fully substituted aryne precursors via a one-step fluorosulfurylation. The silyl mask on the termini of alkynes is demonstrated not only to suppress the undesired oxidation but also to control the selectivity of CO insertion. Straightforward access to fully substituted arynes was comprehensively established and applied for the efficient construction of polycyclic aromatic molecules.