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A rhenium-catalyzed carboalkoxylation and carboamination of alkyne is reported. This reaction provides an efficient route to synthesize de novo C3-substituted benzofurans and indoles under mild conditions in moderate to good yields. Mechanistic studies revealed that the rhenium played the role of a π acid catalyst to activate the alkynes, followed by a charge-accelerated [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement.

In this work, a rhodium-catalyzed oxidative cycloaromatization of dienynes, which provides a highly straightforward and efficient way to access polysubstituted naphthols and phenols under mild conditions, is described. Challenged electron-withdrawing groups are well tolerated in this protocol, and late-stage phenyl ring formation is demonstrated.