Rhodium(iii)-catalyzed annulation of enamides with sulfoxonium ylides toward isoquinolines.

An efficient rhodium(iii)-catalyzed C-H activation followed by intermolecular annulation between enamides and sulfoxonium ylides has been developed. The transformation proceeds smoothly with a broad range of substrates, affording a series of isoquinoline derivatives in moderate to good yields under additive-free conditions.