Au(I)‐Catalyzed 6‐ endo ‐ dig Cyclizations of Aromatic 1, 5‐Enynes to 2‐(Naphthalen‐2‐yl)anilines Leading to Divergent Syntheses of Benzo[ α ]carbazole, Benzo[ c , h ]cinnoline and Dibenzo[ i ]phenanthridine Derivatives

Recent Advances in Gold(I)-Catalyzed Approaches to Three-Type Small-Molecule Scaffolds via Arylalkyne Activation

Gold catalysts possess the advantages of water and oxygen resistance, with the possibility of catalyzing many novel chemical transformations, especially in the syntheses of small-molecule skeletons, in addition to achieving the rapid construction of multiple chemical bonds and ring systems in one step. In this feature paper, we summarize recent advances in the construction of small-molecule scaffolds, such as benzene, cyclopentene, furan, and pyran, based on gold-catalyzed cyclization of arylalkyne derivatives within the last decade. We hope that this review will serve as a useful reference for chemists to apply gold-catalyzed strategies to the syntheses of related natural products and active molecules, hopefully providing useful guidance for the exploration of additional novel gold-catalyzed approaches.

Formal total synthesis of macarpine via a Au(I)-catalyzed 6-endo-dig cycloisomerization strategy

The formal total synthesis of macarpine was accomplished by the construction of a naphthol intermediate in Ishikawa’s synthetic route with two different synthetic routes. The convergent synthetic strategies feature the utilization of Au(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerizations of a 1,5-enyne and alkynyl ketone substrates, which were prepared by Sonogashira coupling reactions.