Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed Intermolecular Hydroarylation of Alkynes

The rhodium(III)-catalyzed hydroarylation of internal alkynes is described. Good yields are obtained for a variety of alkynes, and excellent regioselectivity is observed for unsymmetrically substituted alkynes. The reaction also gives good yields for a range of arenes. Preliminary mechanistic investigations suggest that this reaction proceeds through arene metalation with the cationic rhodium catalyst, which enables challenging intermolecular reactivity.