Gold(I)‐Catalyzed 1,4‐ and/or 1,5‐Heteroaryl Migration Reactions through Regiocontrolled Cyclizations

Gold(I)‐catalyzed regioselective cycloisomerizations of furan‐ynes have been described. The reaction provides a concise access to stereodefined trisubstituted alkenes by endo cyclization with concomitant 1,5‐migration of the furanyl group in the presence of unactivated 3 Å molecular sieves. In the absence of molecular sieves, indene products are generated by exo cyclization, followed by 1,4‐furanyl migration/cyclization. The scope for 1,5‐migrations can be extended to other heterocycles, such as benzofurans, thiophenes, and pyrroles.     

N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Gold(I) Catalyzed Transformation of N‐Tethered 1,5‐Bisallenes to 6,7‐Dimethylene‐3‐azabicyclo[3.1.1]heptanes

Tying up loose ends : The reaction of bisallenes tethered with N‐(p‐tolylsulfonamide) in the presence of a cationic gold N‐heterocyclic carbene catalyst gave new cycloisomerization products, 6,7‐dimethyleneazabicyclo[3.1.1]heptanes, in high yields (see scheme; IPr=N,N′‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene).

     

Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Selective Heterocyclization of Propargylic Thioureas: Mechanistic Study of Competitive Gold‐Activation Mode

A new selective gold(I)‐catalyzed intramolecular heterocyclization of propargylic thioureas has been developed, efficiently affording two kinds of cycloadducts in moderate to excellent yields with a broad substrate scope. Further mechanistic investigations indicate that competitive different gold activation modes feature in these cyclization processes. Kinetic experiments reveal that the gold activation mode is influenced by the ligand of the gold catalyst and the reaction conditions.     

Gold‐Catalyzed 6‐Exo‐Dig Cycloisomerization: A Versatile Approach to Functionalized Phenanthrenes

A novel gold‐catalyzed 6‐exo‐dig cycloisomerization of o‐propargylbiaryls has been developed that provides ready access to functionalized phenanthrenes in largely good to excellent yields. Notable features of this method are readily available starting materials, mild reaction conditions, and broad substrate scope.     

Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Aminohalogenation of Fluorinated N′‐Aryl‐N‐Propargyl Amidines for the Synthesis of Imidazole Derivatives under Mild Conditions

A procedure for the synthesis of fluorinated imidazole derivatives from propargyl amidines has been developed. Under gold(I) catalysis, propargyl amidines were converted into 5‐fluoromethyl imidazoles in the presence of Selectfluor through a cascade cyclization/fluorination process. In contrast, imidazole‐5‐carbaldehydes were obtained in high yields when N‐iodosuccinimide (NIS) was used as the halogenating reagent. The polarity of the solvent and light had significant impact on the formation of the carbaldehydes. These transformations showed excellent functional‐group tolerance. An unfluorinated substrate with an electron‐withdrawing group also underwent aminohalogenation to give the corresponding product in good yield. Mechanistic investigation revealed the general pathways of these transformations.     

Dysprosium(III)‐Catalyzed Ring‐Opening of meso‐Epoxides: Desymmetrization by Remote Stereocontrol in a Thiolysis/Elimination Sequence

An unprecedented asymmetric desymmetrization of meso‐epoxides, derived from cyclopentene‐1,3‐diones, with 2‐mercaptobenzothiazoles has been realized. It was efficiently catalyzed by a chiral Dy^III/N,N′‐dioxide complex through a thiolysis/elimination sequence. This remote stereocontrol strategy provides facile access to synthetically versatile cyclopentene derivatives bearing an all‐carbon quaternary stereogenic center in high yield and excellent enantioselectivity. Intriguingly, optically active thiophene could be readily generated from the obtained product through an efficient one‐pot protocol.     

An Efficient Synthesis of Benzazocines by Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Tandem 1,2‐Acyloxy Shift/[3+2] Cycloaddition of Terminal 1,9‐Enynyl Esters

An effective synthesis of structurally diverse benzazocines was accomplished in good to excellent chemical yields (55–82 %) through a gold(I)‐catalyzed cascade reaction involving tandem 1,2‐acyloxy shift/[3+2] cycloaddition of terminal 1,9‐enynyl esters. The reaction proceeds under extremely mild conditions and represents one of the relatively few transition‐metal‐catalyzed intramolecular cycloaddition reactions for the synthesis of benzazocines.     

Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Furan‐yne Cyclizations Involving 1,2‐Rearrangement: Efficient Synthesis of Functionalized 1‐Naphthols and Its Application to the Synthesis of Wailupemycin G

Gold‐catalyzed cascade cyclization/1,2‐rearrangement of 1‐(2‐furanyl)phenyl propargyl alcohols has been developed, which provides a rapid and efficient access to multisubstituted 1‐naphthols bearing an enal or enone moiety with high stereoselectivity. The (Z)‐ or (E)‐stereochemistry can be easily controlled by choosing protected‐ or non‐protected substrates. The utility of the methodology has been illustrated in the first total synthesis of wailupemycin G.     

Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Tandem Cycloisomerization of 1,5‐Enyne Ethers by Hydride Transfer

A novel gold‐catalyzed tandem protocol, initiated by hydride transfer in the presence of catalytic (C₆F₅)₃PAuCl/AgSbF₆, for the formation of fused polycyclic ring systems has been achieved. This tandem reaction provides rapid access to various fused polycyclic species in a single chemical operation, leading to stereospecific formation of two carbon–carbon bonds and three rings.     

Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Addition of Silylacetylenes to Acylsilanes: Synthesis of Indanones by CH Functionalization through a Gold(I) Carbenoid

A gold(I)‐catalyzed synthesis of indanones from trimethylsilylacetylenes and acylsilanes is presented. The reaction is initiated through a synergistic acylsilane activation–gold acetylide formation and involves consecutive alkyne σ‐gold(I) addition, π‐activation, and 1,2‐migration of a silyl group. Studies performed on the reaction mechanism allowed to establish the nature of the silyl migrating group and invoke the participation of a gold(I) carbenoid intermediate. The reaction is completed by a gold(I) C? H functionalization step.     

Dual Hard/Soft Gold Catalysis: Intermolecular Friedel–Crafts‐Type α‐Amidoalkylation/Alkyne Hydroarylation Sequences by N‐Acyliminium Ion Chemistry

Gold catalysts have been applied in cascade‐type reactions for the synthesis of different nitrogen‐based compounds. The reactions likely proceed by a new gold‐catalyzed cascade intermolecular α‐amidoalkylation/intramolecular carbocyclization cascade process by unifying both the σ‐ and π‐Lewis acid properties of the gold salts. In the first part of this report we show that the σ‐Lewis acidity of gold(I) and gold(III) could be exploited to efficiently catalyze the nucleophilic substitution of various alkoxy‐ and acetoxylactams. The reaction was found to be applicable to a wide range of cyclic N‐acyliminium ion precursors and various nucleophiles, including allyltrimethylsilane, silyl enol ethers, arenes, and active methylene derivatives. As a logical progression of this study, a combined hard/soft binary catalytic gold system was then used to implement an unprecedented tandem intermolecular Friedel–Crafts amidoalkylation/intramolecular hydroarylation sequence allowing an expedient access to new, complex, fused polyheterocyclic structures from trivial materials.     

Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Diazo Cross‐Coupling: A Selective and Ligand‐Controlled Denitrogenation/Cyclization Cascade

An unprecedented gold‐catalyzed ligand‐controlled cross‐coupling of diazo compounds by sequential selective denitrogenation and cyclization affords N‐substituted pyrazoles in a position‐switchable mode. This novel transformation features selective decomposition of one diazo moiety and simultaneous preservation of the other one from two substrates. Notably, the choice of the ancillary ligand to the gold complex plays a pivotal role on the chemo‐ and regioselectivity of the reactions.