Rhodium-catalyzed annulation of pyrrole substituted BODIPYs with alkynes to access π-extended polycyclic heteroaromatic molecules and NIR absorption

A series of π-extended BODIPY derivatives fused with an indolizine scaffold were prepared smoothly via rhodium-catalyzed C–H functionalization/annulation. These fluorophores show significantly red-shifted absorption, reaching to the near infrared (NIR) region.