Rh-Catalyzed C─H Activation for the Modular Synthesis of Dual-Functional Heterocyclic-Bridged Dithienylethenes Based on Tailorable Aryl Alkynes.

We report a modular synthesis strategy employing Rh-catalyzed C─H activation/annulation of aryl carboxylic acid and its derivatives with tailor-made dithienylacetylenes. This efficient cyclization approach enables rapid and flexible access to a series of novel dithienylethene derivatives featuring heterocyclic bridging architectures. The methodology streamlines traditional synthetic pathways and accelerates exploration of functional systems. The resulting materials exhibit tunable photochromism and aggregation-induced emission, demonstrating the successful integration of fluorescent heterocyclic units into the DTE framework.