Rhodium catalyzed oxidative coupling of salicylaldehydes with diazabicyclic olefins: a one pot strategy involving aldehyde C-H cleavage and π-allyl chemistry towards the synthesis of fused ring chromanones.

An efficient one pot strategy for the synthesis of cyclopentene fused chromanone derivatives through the direct oxidative coupling of salicylaldehydes with bicyclic olefins in the presence of a rhodium-copper catalyst system is described. This is the first report on the ring opening-ring closing of bicyclic hydrazines via metal catalyzed oxidative coupling reaction.