Gold‐Catalyzed Cascade Reactions of Furan‐ynes with External Nucleophiles Consisting of a 1,2‐Rearrangement: Straightforward Synthesis of Multi‐Substituted Benzo[b]furans

A gold‐catalyzed cycloisomerization of silyl‐protected 2‐(1‐alkynyl)‐2‐alken‐1‐(2‐furanyl)‐1‐ols with various nucleophiles including water, alcohol, aniline, sulfonamide, and electron‐rich arene has been developed. The method provides a highly efficient access to 5,7‐disubstituted or 2,5,7‐trisubstituted benzo[b]furans with a wide diversity of substituents under mild reaction conditions, which are not easily available by other methods. Remarkably, an interesting rearrangement of the alkyl group from C2 to the C3 position of the furan ring takes place during the cyclization process. The following gold‐assisted allylic substitution enables an elaboration of benzo[b]furans on its side chain of the C5 position with a wide range of functional groups.     

Gold‐Catalyzed Cascade Cyclization of 2‐Alkynyl‐N‐Propargylanilines by Rearrangement of a Propargyl Group

Gold catalysis enables direct construction of tetracyclic fused indolines through the migration of a propargyl substituent from an aniline nitrogen atom to the C3‐position of an indole from 2‐alkynyl‐N‐propargylanilines. This reaction provides rapid access to fused three‐dimensional indolines in a single operation with the formation of four bonds and three rings.     

Copper‐Catalyzed 1,2‐Addition of α‐Carbonyl Iodides to Alkynes

β,γ‐Unsaturated ketones are an important class of organic molecules. Herein, copper catalysis has been developed for the synthesis of β‐γ‐unsaturated ketones through 1,2‐addition of α‐carbonyl iodides to alkynes. The reactions exhibit wide substrate scope and high functional group tolerance. The reaction products are versatile synthetic intermediates to complex small molecules. The method was applied for the formal synthesis of (±)‐trichostatin A, a histone deacetylase inhibitor.     

One‐Pot Synthesis of Fused Pyrroles through a Key Gold‐Catalysis‐Triggered Cascade

A two‐step, one‐pot synthesis of fused pyrroles is realized by firstly condensing an N‐alkynylhydroxammonium salt with a readily enolizable ketone under mild basic conditions and then subjecting the reaction mixture to a gold catalyst, which triggers a cascade reaction involving a facile initial [3.3]‐sigmatropic rearrangement of the gold‐catalysis product, that is, an N,O‐dialkenylhydroxamine. The reaction provides a facile access to polycyclic pyrroles in moderate to good yields.     

Gold‐Catalyzed Synthesis of Iodofulvenes

We report the gold‐catalyzed synthesis of highly functionalized iodofulvenes from iododialkynes under mild conditions. The catalytic cycle involves the formation of gold acetylides and vinylgold intermediates. These intermediates can then undergo an unprecedented iodine/gold exchange. This new pathway for catalyst transfer in dual gold catalysis opens up the possibility of highly regioselective transformations directed by the gold in the organogold intermediates. The resulting products are well suited for further metal‐mediated coupling reactions, allowing the synthesis of extended π‐systems.     

Gold‐Catalyzed Fluorination–Hydration: Synthesis of α‐Fluorobenzofuranones from 2‐Alkynylphenol Derivatives

The Au^I‐catalyzed fluorination–hydration of 2‐alkynylphenol derivatives in the presence of Selectfluor [1‐chloromethyl‐4‐fluoro‐1,4‐diazoniabicyclo‐[2.2.2]octane bis(tetrafluoroborate)] has been developed. This method provides straightforward access to α‐fluorobenzofuranones with the construction of C?O, C=O, and C?F bonds in a single step on the basis of an Au^I/Au^III redox catalytic cycle. Several control experiments, including the asymmetric variant of this reaction, were also conducted to gain insight into the reaction mechanism.     

Sequential One‐Pot Addition of Excess Aryl‐Grignard Reagents and Electrophiles to O‐Alkyl Thioformates

The sequential addition of aromatic Grignard reagents to O‐alkyl thioformates proceeded to completion within 30 s to give aryl benzylic sulfanes in good yields. This reaction may begin with the nucleophilic attack of the Grignard reagent onto the carbon atom of the O‐alkyl thioformates, followed by the elimination of ROMgBr to generate aromatic thioaldehydes, which then react with a second molecule of the Grignard reagent at the sulfur atom to form arylsulfanyl benzylic Grignard reagents. To confirm the generation of aromatic thioaldehydes, the reaction between O‐alkyl thioformates and phenyl Grignard reagent was carried out in the presence of cyclopentadiene. As a result, hetero‐Diels–Alder adducts of the thioaldehyde and the diene were formed. The treatment of a mixture of the thioformate and phenyl Grignard reagent with iodine gave 1,2‐bis(phenylsulfanyl)‐1,2‐diphenyl ethane as a product, which indicated the formation of arylsulfanyl benzylic Grignard reagents in the reaction mixture. When electrophiles were added to the Grignard reagents that were generated in situ, four‐component coupling products, that is, O‐alkyl thioformates, two molecules of Grignard reagents, and electrophiles, were obtained in moderate‐to‐good yields. The use of silyl chloride or allylic bromides gave the adducts within 5 min, whereas the reaction with benzylic halides required more than 30 min. The addition to carbonyl compounds was complete within 1 min and the use of lithium bromide as an additive enhanced the yields of the four‐component coupling products. Finally, oxiranes and imines also participated in the coupling reaction.     

Synthesis of Highly Substituted γ‐Butyrolactones by a Gold‐Catalyzed Cascade Reaction of Benzyl Esters

Easily accessible benzylic esters of 3‐butynoic acids in a gold‐catalyzed cyclization/rearrangement cascade reaction provided 3‐propargyl γ‐butyrolactones with the alkene and the carbonyl group not being conjugated. Crossover experiments showed that the formation of the new C?C bond is an intermolecular process. Initially propargylic–benzylic esters were used, but alkyl‐substituted benzylic esters worked equally well. In the case of the propargylic–benzylic products, a simple treatment of the products with aluminum oxide initiated a twofold tautomerization to the allenyl‐substituted γ‐butyrolactones with conjugation of the carbonyl group, the olefin, and the allene. The synthetic sequence can be conducted stepwise or as a one‐pot cascade reaction with similar yields. Even in the presence of the gold catalyst the new allene remains intact.     

New Pathways for the Dual Gold‐Catalyzed Cyclization of Diynes

The reaction of thiophene‐based diynes with dual‐activation gold catalysts can provide cyclobutene derivatives or different polycycles by selective C?H insertion reactions. Also, the first σ,π‐digold diyne complex was obtained in a stoichiometric reaction, providing insight into the dual activation mechanism. The new products were unambiguously identified by X‐ray single‐crystal structure analysis.     

Highly Stereoselective Synthesis of 1,2‐Diorganothio‐1‐alkenes via Hydrothiolation of Alkynyl Sulfides Catalyzed by Cesium Hydroxide

In the presence of catalytic amount of cesium hydroxide, the hydrothiolation of alkynyl sulfides occurred at room temperature in DMF under nitrogen atmosphere to afford exclusive (Z)‐1,2‐diorganothio‐1‐alkene in excellent yields. It could provide a new and expedient way for the preparation of symmetrical and unsymmetrical (Z)‐1,2‐diorganolthio1‐1‐alkenes.