Copper/Zinc-Catalyzed Stitching of 2‑Carbonylanilines with Bis(ynamides): Access to Pyrrolo[2,3‑b]quinolines and Its Photophysical Studies

Herein, a one-pot desulfonylative protocol enabled by copper­(II)/zinc­(II) salts to access pyrrolo­[2,3-b]­quinolines in good to excellent yields from 2-carbonylanilines and ynamide-derived buta-1,3-diynes has been reported. Significantly, various 2-carbonylanilines carrying reactive functional groups are well tolerated. Moreover, a gram-scale synthesis and synthetic application highlight the practical utility of the current protocol. Notably, the fluorescence properties of pyrrolo­[2,3-b]­quinolines have been recorded, and their potential use as a fluorescent probe in the imaging of live cells has been demonstrated.