Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed Coupling of Arenes with Cyclopropanols via C–H Activation and Ring Opening

Rhodium-catalyzed C–H activation of arenes has been established as an important strategy for the rapid construction of new bonds. On the other hand, ring-opening of readily available cyclopropanols has served as a driving force for the coupling with various nucleophiles and electrophiles. Nevertheless, these two important areas evolved separately, and coupling of arenes with cyclopropanols via C–H activation has been rarely explored. In this work, the oxidative coupling between arenes and cyclopropanols has been realized with high efficiency and selectivity under Rh­(III)-catalysis, providing an efficient route to access β-aryl ketones. Moreover, the C–H bond has been extended to benzylic C–H bonds.