Construction of unsymmetrical heterobiaryls via the Cp*Rh(iii)-catalysed C-H/C-H coupling of heteroarenes

Herein, a concise method for the Rh(iii)-catalyzed, directing-group-assisted C-H/C-H cross-coupling of N-heterocycles (quinolines, indolines, indoles, pyridines, pyrimidines, pyrazoles) with other heteroarenes (benzoxazoles, benzofurans, and thiophenes) is disclosed for the synthesis of unsymmetrical heterobiaryl compounds in good to excellent yields. A plausible catalytic cycle has been delineated based on experimental and computational mechanistic studies.