Rhodium-catalysed synthesis of multi-substituted silylindenes from aryl alkynes and hydrosilanes via C-H bond activation.

We successfully developed rhodium-catalysed synthesis of multi-substituted silylindenes from 2 equivalents of aryl alkynes and 1 equivalent of hydrosilanes in moderate to good yields via C-H bond activation for the first time. The silyl groups of the obtained silylindenes could be converted to several other functional groups.