Gold(I)-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization/intermolecular cycloaddition cascade as a fast track to polycarbocycles and mechanistic insights

Abstract

Metal carbene is usually employed as a 1-carbon synthon or 3-carbon synthon in a variety of cycloaddition reactions. Here, the authors report a gold-catalyzed cascade protocol for the assembly of polycarbocyclic frameworks via a β-aryl gold-carbene intermediate which reacts as a 4-carbon synthon with alkenes in [4 + 2]-cycloadditions.