Regiospecific carbonylative annulation of iodophenol acetates and acetylenes to construct the flavones by a new catalyst of palladium-thiourea-dppp complex.

[reaction: see text] Regiospecific carbonylative annulation of o-iodophenol acetates and acetylenes mediated by palladium-thiourea-dppp complex in the presence of base at 40 degrees C under a balloon pressure of CO generates diversified flavones in high yields. This newly developed synthetic technology provides a highly efficient method for potential application to the combinatorial synthesis of those heterocycles on the solid support.