Preparation of Annulated Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycles via a One-Pot Palladium-Catalyzed Alkylation/Direct Arylation Sequence

[reaction: see text] A palladium-catalyzed/norbornene-mediated sequential coupling reaction involving an aromatic sp(2) C-H functionalization as the key step is described, in which an alkyl-aryl bond and an aryl-heteroaryl bond are formed in one pot. A variety of highly substituted six- and seven-membered annulated pyrroles and pyrazoles were synthesized in a one-step process in good yields from readily accessible N-bromoalkyl pyrroles or pyrazoles and aryl iodides.