Recent advances in syntheses of carbocycles and heterocycles via homogeneous gold catalysis. Part 2: Cyclizations and cycloadditions

Thermal intramolecular [4 + 2] cycloadditions of allenamides: a stereoselective tandem propargyl amide isomerization-cycloaddition

A stereoselective intramolecular normal demand [4 + 2] cycloaddition of allenamides under thermal conditions without metal assistance is described. This work led to the development of a stereoselective tandem propargyl amide-isomerization-[4 + 2] cycloaddition sequence amenable for rapid assembly of complex nitrogen heterocycles.

On the impact of steric and electronic properties of ligands on gold(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition reactions

It is shown that [4 + 3] and [4 + 2] cycloaddition pathways are accessible in the Au(I) catalysis of allene-dienes. Seven-membered ring gold-stabilized carbenes, originating from the [4 + 3] cycloaddition process, are unstable and can rearrange via a 1,2-H or a 1,2-alkyl shift to yield six- and seven-membered products. Both steric and electronic properties of the AuL(+) catalyst affect the electronic structure of the intermediate gold-stabilized carbene and its subsequent reactivity.

Gold(I)-catalyzed enantioselective ring expansion of allenylcyclopropanols

The asymmetric gold(I)-catalyzed ring expansion of 1-allenylcyclopropanols is described. The method provides synthetically valuable cyclobutanones with a vinyl-substituted quaternary stereogenic center in high enantioselectivities and yields. The method shows a broad substrate scope, tolerating protected alcohols and amines, alkenes, unsaturated esters, and acetals. The reaction is easily adjustable to large-scale synthesis, leading to product formation without significant loss of selectivity or yield with only 0.5 mol% catalyst loading.

Facile and efficient one-pot synthesis of 2-arylbenzoxazoles using hydrogen tetrachloroaurate as catalyst under oxygen atmosphere

In this paper, we presented a novel method for the facile and efficient one-pot synthesis of 2-arylbenzoxazoles, which were directly synthesized from 2-aminophenol and aldehydes catalyzed by hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (HAuCl(4).4H(2)O) under an oxygen atmosphere with anhydrous tetrahydrofuran (THF) as solvent or in solvent-free condition. The results show that this method could bring excellent yields as high as 96%. THF was proven to be the best choice among several solvents screened and the reaction was tolerated with a variety of aromatic aldehydes possessing electron-donating or withdrawing groups. The advantages of the present method lie in catalytic process using economic and environmentally benign dioxygen as oxidant.

Au(I)-Catalyzed cycloisomerizations terminated by sp(3) C-H bond insertion

The gold(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 1,5-enynes and 1,4-allylallenes to tetracyclododecane and tetracyclotridecane derivatives, respectively, is reported. Complexation of the cationic gold(I) complex to either the alkyne or allene moiety induces an intramolecular addition of the alkene, leading to a gold(I)-stabilized carbenoid intermediate. This intermediate undergoes a formal sp(3) C-H insertion to generate the tetracyclic adduct. A series of deuterium labeling experiments showed that the C-H functionalization step proceeds with an inverse kinetic isotope effect.