Synthesis of a versatile 1 H -indene-3-carboxylate scaffold enabled by visible-light promoted Wolff rearrangement of 1-diazonaphthalen-2(1 H )-ones.

Herein, we have developed a sequential visible-light-promoted Wolff rearrangement of 1-diazonaphthalen-2(1 H )-ones, followed by capturing the in situ generated ketene intermediates with various alcohols, producing diverse 1 H -indene-3-carboxylates in moderate to good yields under mild reaction conditions. The broad substrate scope, high functional group tolerance, and robust conditions make the resulting derivative a versatile platform for the synthesis of plenty of bioactive molecules.