Synthesis of conformationally restricted 2,3-diarylbenzo[b]furan by the Pd-catalyzed annulation of o-alkynylphenols: exploring a combinatorial approach.

The palladium/bpy-catalyzed annulation of o-alkynylphenol with various aryl halides to generate diversified 2,3-diarylbenzo[b]furan is herein described. This method provides an efficient synthetic pathway for the combinatorial synthesis of conformationally restricted 2,3-diarylbenzo[b]furan for drug discovery.