Iridium-catalyzed [5+1] cyclization of terminal alkynes with CF ₃ -imidoyl sulfoxonium ylides to construct 2-trifluoroquinolines

Reported herein is a novel strategy for the synthesis of 2-trifluoroquinolines by iridium-catalyzed [5+1] cyclization of CF₃-imidoyl sulfoxonium ylides with terminal alkynes. A series of multi-substituted quinolines were successfully obtained in moderate to high yields under mild reaction conditions, exhibiting good functional group tolerance. Imidoyl sulfoxonium ylides were utilized as five-atom synthons, a new approach that enriches the diversity of accessible ring architectures.