A palladium-catalyzed
carbon–carbon bond activation-initiated reaction of 2-(3-phenyloxiran-2-yl)benzonitriles
with arylboronic acids is reported. Multiple chemical bonds were cleavaged
and reconstructed via β-carbon elimination in this reaction,
enabling the construction of valuable benzo-fused dipyrromethenes
that are difficult to prepare by other methods. Additionally, a series
of benzannulated boron dipyrromethenes are synthesized and show practical
significance in terms of expanding the applications and types of fluorescent
materials. The proposed mechanism is supported by preliminary mechanistic
experiments.