[reaction: see text] Novel synthetic methods of both ortho-alkenylated aromatic ketones and isoquinoline derivatives have been developed through the Rh(I)-catalyzed direct ortho-alkenylation of common aromatic ketimines with alkynes. Furthermore, a highly efficient one-pot synthesis of isoquinoline derivatives was achieved by simply mixing aromatic ketone, benzylamine, and alkyne under a Rh(I) catalyst.

[reaction: see text] The reaction of the imine of aromatic ketones with functionalized alkenes was performed under a catalytic amount of (PPh3)3RhCl, and corresponding ortho-alkylated ketones were obtained after hydrolysis. A variety of functional groups in the alkene were tolerated in this ortho alkylation. This procedure expands the scope of ortho alkylation to the direct ortho functionalization of aromatic ketones.

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[reaction: see text] A novel recyclable catalyst for chelation-assisted hydroacylation of an olefin with a primary alcohol was developed by utilizing a hydrogen-bonding self-assembly motif consisting of a barbiturate bearing 2-aminopyridin-4-yl group and 5-hexyl-2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine. This was further applied to a mixed catalyst system to recycle both organic and organometallic catalysts.

[reaction: see text]. Herein described is the application of the Rh(I)-catalyzed C-H bond activation to the ring-opening of 2-cycloalkenones in the presence of cyclohexylamine. This reaction includes the C-C double bond cleavage of 2-cycloalkenones through the conjugate addition of cyclohexylamine followed by the retro-Mannich-type fragmentation. The resulting ring-opened intermediates subsequently underwent either chelation-assisted hydroacylation to afford a ring-opened dicarbonyl compound or beta-alkylation via a ring contraction.