Arene difunctionalization through an acyl-inserting Smiles rearrangement enabled by N -heterocyclic carbene catalysis

Nature Communications, Published online: 15 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-74546-3 The authors report an N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed radical Smiles-type rearrangement which selectively produces 1,4-difunctionalized arenes.