Gold-Catalyzed 1,2-Acyloxy Migration/Intramolecular [3+2] 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddtion Cascade Reaction: An Efficient Strategy for Syntheses of Medium-Sized-Ring Ethers and Amines

Acyl Migration versus Epoxidation in Gold Catalysis: Facile, Switchable, and Atom-Economic Synthesis of Acylindoles and Quinoline Derivatives

We report a switchable synthesis of acylindoles and quinoline derivatives via gold-catalyzed annulations of anthranils and ynamides. α-Imino gold carbenes, generated in situ from anthranils and an N,O-coordinated gold(III) catalyst, undergo electrophilic attack to the aryl π-bond, followed by unexpected and highly selective 1,4- or 1,3-acyl migrations to form 6-acylindoles or 5-acylindoles. With the (2-biphenyl)di-tert-butylphosphine (JohnPhos) ligand, gold(I) carbenes experienced carbene/carbonyl additions to deliver quinoline oxides. Some of these epoxides are valuable substrates for the preparation of 3-hydroxylquinolines, quinolin-3(4H)-ones, and polycyclic compounds via facile in situ rearrangements. The reaction can be efficiently conducted on a gram scale and the obtained products are valuable substrates for preparing other potentially useful compounds. A computational study explained the unexpected selectivities and the dependency of the reaction pathway on the oxidation state and ligands of gold. With gold(III) the barrier for the formation of the strained oxirane ring is too high; whereas with gold(I) this transition state becomes accessible. Furthermore, energetic barriers to migration of the substituents on the intermediate sigma-complexes support the observed substitution pattern in the final product.

Enantioselective Organocatalytic Four-Atom Ring Expansion of Cyclobutanones: Synthesis of Benzazocinones

An enantioselective Michael addition- four-atom ring expansion cascade reaction involving cyclobutanones activated by a N-aryl secondary amide group and ortho-amino nitrostyrenes has been developed for the preparation of functionalized eight-membered benzolactams using bifunctional aminocatalysts. Taking advantage of the secondary amide activating group, the eight-membered cyclic products could be further rearranged into their six-membered isomers having a glutarimide core under base catalysis conditions without erosion of optical purity, featuring an overall ring expansion- ring contraction strategy.

Formal Synthesis of (+)-Laurencin by Gold(I)-Catalyzed Intramolecular Dehydrative Alkoxylation

8-Membered cyclic ethers are found in a wide range of natural products; however, they are challenging synthetic targets due to enthalpic and entropic barriers. The gold(I)-catalyzed intramolecular dehydrative alkoxylation of ω-hydroxy allylic alcohols was explored to stereoselectively construct α,α'-cis-oxocenes and further applied in a formal synthesis of (+)-laurencin. The gold(I)-catalyzed intramolecular dehydrative alkoxylation may constitute an alternative method for the synthesis of molecular building blocks and natural products that contain highly functionalized 8-membered cyclic ethers.

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-Catalyzed Intramolecular Cyclizations of Cyclopropenes with Propargylic Esters

Homogeneous gold catalysts are interesting as they can act as potent carbophilic Lewis acids to activate the π bonds of alkynes, allenes, and alkenes. Many impressive applications for the formation of C−C or C−heteroatom bonds have been found due to the excellent functional group compatibility of these catalysts and the air and moisture tolerance of their reactions. Here, we have developed gold‐catalyzed novel intramolecular cycloisomerizations of nitrogen or oxygen‐tethered cyclopropenes with propargylic esters. The reaction proceeded through different pathways according to different substituent styles, affording 5‐azaspiro[2.5]oct‐7‐enes and bicyclo[4.1.0]heptanes.