With the aid of a directing group, an imine moiety, heteroaromatic compounds add to acetylenes in the presence of a catalytic amount of [ReBr(CO)(3)(THF)](2) at the adjacent position of the directing group regioselectively to give hydroarylation of the acetylenes in good to excellent yields. Similarly, heteroaromatic compounds react with acrylates and isocyanates to give the corresponding hydroarylation products under rhenium catalysis. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A New Synthetic Method for the Preparation of Indenones from Aromatic Imines. Ru<sub>3</sub>(CO)<sub>12</sub>-Catalyzed Carbonylation at an <i>ortho</i> C−H Bond in the Aromatic Imines