Facile Synthesis of π-Conjugated Quinazoline-Substituted Ethenes from 2-Ethynylanilines and Benzonitriles under Transition-Metal-Free Conditions.

A new transition-metal-free version for the synthesis of π-conjugated quinazoline-substituted ethene derivatives from readily available starting materials has been developed. Quinazoline-substituted ethenes were obtained in moderate to high yields with completely Z-selectivity, and the resulting quinazoline-substituted ethenes show typical aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties.