Tetrahedron 2017, 73, 3669-3676 (Invited contribution).
We have achieved a synthesis of multiply arylated pyridines by using a [4+2] cycloaddition of 2,4-diaryl-5-chloroxazoles and cinnamic acids as a key reaction. The resulting hydroxytriarylpyridines can be derivatized into triarylpyridines, tetraarylpyridines and pentaarylpyridines by sequential cross-couplings. This synthetic method allows for facile and rapid access to highly arylated pyridines with different aryl substituents.