Azofuran activation for annulative rearrangement enabled by gold(I)/Brønsted acid relay catalysis

Chem Commun (Camb). 2023 May 9;59(38):5725-5728. doi: 10.1039/d3cc00531c.

Abstract

A novel gold(I)/Brønsted acid relay catalysis enabling azofuran activation to induce annulative rearrangement from 3-yne-1,2-diols and aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates is reported, producing a series of furan-2-yl-substituted pyrrol-2-ones bearing a quaternary carbon center with good yields. Exchanging aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborate for azofuran led to skeletally identical but substituent-diverse furan-2-yl-containing pyrrol-2-ones with good yields, supporting the key azofuran activation and annulative rearrangement by gold/Brønsted acid relay catalysis.