5-Formyl-2-furylboronic acid as a versatile bifunctional reagent for the synthesis of π-extended heteroarylfuran systemsElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: synthesis and characterisation data for 3–17. See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/ob/b3/b302767h/

5-Formyl-2-furylboronic acid reacts cleanly with a range of heteroaryl bromides under Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling conditions to produce 2-formyl-5-heteroarylfuran derivatives. Subsequent Wittig olefination reactions afford pi-conjugated alkene-pyridyl-furan derivatives.