10.1002/chem.201504165
The research explores a gold-catalyzed oxidative ring-expansion of alkynyl heterocycles, aiming to develop a mild and efficient method to synthesize valuable six- or seven-membered heterocycles from easily available starting materials. The study employs pyridine-N-oxide as the oxidant and various gold catalysts, such as [PPh3AuNTf2] and [IPrAuNTf2], to facilitate the reaction. The key innovation lies in the regioselective oxidation and chemoselective migration of endocyclic carbon–heteroatom bonds (C–S, C–N, and C–O), with the migratory aptitude order being C–S > C–N > C–O. The reaction demonstrates wide functional group tolerance and high yields, producing polycyclic products in the absence of an oxidant through a ring-expansion/Nazarov cyclization sequence. The findings suggest a new and general protocol for heterocycle synthesis, with potential applications in the construction of complex organic structures.