Efficient Synthesis of Quinoline-Enone Esters via Copper-Catalyzed Coupling with Electron-Deficient Alkynes and Exploration of Fluorescence in Difluoroboron Complexes †

Abstract

A copper-catalyzed, 100% atom-economic coupling of quinoline N-oxides with electron-deficient alkynes yields quinolinyl-enone esters (up to 99%, 100:1 high regioselectivity). This protocol facilitates late-stage functionalization and construction of novel BF2 complexes with large Stokes shifts (up to 80 nm) for optoelectronic applications.