DOI: 10.1002/chem.200902321
Gold(I)- and YbACHTUNRGTNEUNG(OTf)3-Cocatalyzed Rearrangements of Epoxy Alkynes:
Transfer of a Carbonyl Group in a Five-Membered Carbocycle
Lun-Zhi Dai and Min Shi*[a]
Abstract: We report here the intramo-
lecular reactions between a,b-epoxy
ketones and alkynes cocatalyzed by
first observation of a transfer of a car-
bonyl group in a five-membered carbo-
cycle during gold-catalyzed reactions.
This proposed mechanism is corrobo-
rated by isotope-labeling experiments
(D and 13C). Furthermore, the probable
role of each catalyst in this interesting
domino reaction has been examined by
31P NMR experiments. The utilization
of gold catalysts combined with rare-
earth metal salts offers a new concept
for the design of catalyst combinations
for domino or cascade reactions.
gold(I) and Yb
lytic system based on a combination of
gold(I) and Yb(OTf)3 allows facile
ACHTUNGTRENNUNG(OTf)3. This new cata-
ACHTUNGTRENNUNG
transformation of epoxy alkynes to
give novel indene derivatives in moder-
ate to good yields under mild condi-
tions. Moreover, we describe here the
Keywords: epoxy alkynes · domino
reactions · gold · heterocycles ·
indene derivatives · epoxy ketones
Introduction
catalyzed by a Lewis acid was reported by House and Ryer-
son in the early 1960s;[5a] the products normally consist of a
mixture of 1,2- and 1,3-diketones, which result from either
hydride or acyl migration, respectively. Thus, if 1,3-diketones
are formed from the epoxy alkynes, the resulting 1,3-dike-
tone might react further with alkynes to give more interest-
ing products. In addition to the In-,[6] Pd-,[7] and Zn-cata-
lyzed[8] addition of 1,3-diketones to alkynes, which have
been well described before, Toste[9] and co-workers have re-
ported an efficient gold-catalyzed intramolecular addition of
b-ketoesters to inactivated alkynes, providing the cyclization
products derived from the carbon nucleophiles. More re-
cently, Sawamura et al.[10] reported a similar reaction assist-
ed by holey phosphine to give six- or seven-membered rings
under similar conditions. Moreover, some other groups have
also reported the nucleophilic addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl
compounds to propargyl carboxylates and unactivated ole-
fins catalyzed by gold to give the corresponding adducts in
good yields under mild conditions.[11]
Based on the above results, two reaction models could be
proposed.[12] We envisaged that the ketone-substituted epox-
ides 1 in the presence of acid might undergo isomerization
to give 1,3-diketones 1ꢀ (Scheme 1, step I). Subsequent intra-
molecular cyclization could occur via two pathways: 1) nu-
cleophilic addition of an oxygen atom to the alkyne to give
2 (Scheme 1, step II, path a); 2) cyclization employing a
carbon nucleophile to give 3, in a way similar to that report-
ed by Toste et al. and Sawamura et al. (Scheme 1, step II,
path b).
Gold-catalyzed domino reactions are powerful tools in or-
ganic synthesis to access complex molecular frameworks.[1]
Counter anions present in the AuI solution are very impor-
tant factors with respect to the catalytic activity. The combi-
nation of [LAuHal] (L=ligand, Hal=Cl, Br, etc) with silver
salts is the most common method used to increase the cata-
lytic abilities of gold catalysts.[2] In addition to silver salts,
the Lewis acid BF3·Et2O has also been used to activate the
gold complexes.[3] However, the utilization of rare-earth
metal salts as cocatalysts in gold-catalyzed reactions has
never been reported before as far as we know.
Molecules bearing both an epoxy group and an alkynyl
group can probably be transformed to complex and useful
structures in the presence of suitable catalysts. Although
there is growing interest in the gold-catalyzed domino iso-
merization of epoxy alkynes,[4] successful precedents using
epoxides bearing an electron-withdrawing substituent are
rare. Moreover, the rearrangement of a,b-epoxy ketones
[a] Dr. L. Z. Dai, Prof. M. Shi
State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry
Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry
Chinese Academy of Sciences
354 Fenglin Lu, Shanghai 200032 (China)
Fax : (+86)21-64166128
Supporting information for this article is available on the WWW
2496
ꢀ 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Chem. Eur. J. 2010, 16, 2496 – 2502