One-pot Synthesis of Fluorescent Alkenylated Benzo[a]imidazo[2,1,5‑c,d]indolizine via Tandem Intramolecular direct C–H Bond Arylation Cyclization/Mizoroki–Heck Reaction

We developed a one-pot synthetic method combining stepwise direct C-H bond arylation cyclization and Mizoroki-Heck reaction for the efficient synthesis of benzo[a]imidazo[2,1,5‑c,d]indolizine fluorescent cores. This method has a broad substrate scope and applies to both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing styrene derivatives. Evaluation of the photophysical properties revealed that the benzoimidazoindolizine fluorophores synthesized by this method exhibited a red shift of up to 40 nm in absorption and fluorescence compared to previously reported biaryl-type compounds.