Transition Metal-Mediated CO and CC Bond-Forming Reactions: A Regioselective Strategy for the Synthesis of Imidazo[1,2‑<i>a</i>]pyridines and Imidazo[1,2‑<i>a</i>]pyrazines

A novel and convenient transformation for the regiospecific synthesis of functionalized imidazo­[1,2-<i>a</i>]­pyridine aldehydes/ketones and 3-vinyl imidazo­[1,2-<i>a</i>]­pyridines has been developed via copper­(I)- and palladium­(II)-catalyzed cyclization. The one-pot reaction proceeds smoothly with commercially available catalysts and affords the products in moderate to good yields. It represents an efficient approach for the formation of C–N, CO, and CC bonds under mild conditions