Metal-free synthesis of novel indolizines from chromones and pyridinium salts via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, ring-opening and aromatization

A simple, efficient, and economical synthetic approach to construct a variety of stucturally novel indolizines bearing a phenolic hydroxy group has been developed through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of chromones and pyridinium salts. The methodology is tolerant of a wide range of functional groups and applicable to library synthesis.