Site-Selective [4+2] and [4+3] Annulations of Arylboronic Acids with Cyclic Diaryliodoniums for Polycyclic Arenes Synthesis

Abstract

A facile access to functionalized triphenylenes through tandem Suzuki-Miyaura and intramolecular C-C coupling between arylboronic acids and cyclic diaryliodonium salts is disclosed. More importantly, this protocol can expand to large-sized boronic acids involving naphthalene, anthracene, pyrene, triphenylene, dibenzo[b,d]thiophene, and carbazole units that bearing two competitive C(sp 2 )-H bonds, and all the cases show good α-selectivity. This α-selective [4+2] annulation provides a fast access to π-extended polycyclic arenes including [4]-and [5]carbohelicenes as well as their aza-/thia-hybrids. Moreover, the double annulation version on diboronic acids is presented as an efficient and fast route to (helical) nanographenes. In addition, selective Suzuki coupling and N-H activation cascade has been realized through the [4+3] annulation of (9Hcarbazol-1-yl)boronic acids and cyclic iodoniums, providing nonalternant molecules bearing N-doped pentagon-heptagon pair in good yields.

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
07 Apr 2026
Accepted
03 May 2026
First published
05 May 2026

Org. Chem. Front., 2026, Accepted Manuscript

Site-Selective [4+2] and [4+3] Annulations of Arylboronic Acids with Cyclic Diaryliodoniums for Polycyclic Arenes Synthesis

H. Ran, J. Zhou, L. Huang, K. Tao, S. Li and J. Wang, Org. Chem. Front., 2026, Accepted Manuscript , DOI: 10.1039/D6QO00459H

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