Rhodium-catalyzed aryl- and alkylation-oligomerization of alkynoates with organoboron reagents giving salicylates.

The reaction of alkynoates with aryl- or alkylboron reagents in the presence of a rhodium/diene catalyst gave high yields of salicylate derivatives with high selectivity, which consist of three or four molecules of the alkynoate and one organic group derived from the organoboron reagents.