benzannulation with o-bromobenzyl alcohols enabled the facile construction of phenanthrene skeletons via the sequential multiple carbon–carbon bond formations. A variety of multisubstituted phenanthrenes were synthesized by the reaction of (Z)-β-halostyrenes with o-bromobenzyl alcohols as well as by the three-component coupling of alkynes, aryl bromides, and o-bromobenzyl alcohols. The electron-deficient phosphine