Metal-free cycloisomerizations of o-alkynylbiaryls.

We describe a novel and highly efficient metal-free strategy to construct 9,9-disubstituted fluorenes and phenanthrenes via the TfOH-catalyzed cycloisomerizations of o-alkynylbiaryls. Notably, the significant effects of the electronic properties and steric hindrance of the alkyne terminus on the reaction selectivity have been observed.