Oxidative cycloaddition reactions of arylboron reagents via a one-pot formal dehydroboration sequence

Arylboron compounds are widely available and synthetically useful reagents in which the boron group is typically substituted. Herein, we show that the boron group and the ortho-hydrogen atom are substituted in a formal cycloaddition reaction. This transformation is enabled by a one-pot sequence involving diaryliodonium and aryne intermediates. The scope of arylboron reagents and arynophiles is demonstrated and the method is applied to the formal synthesis of an investigational drug candidate.