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Gold-catalyzed three-component tandem process: an efficient and facile assembly of complex butenolides from alkynes,
Qiang Zhang1, Ming Cheng, Xiaoyu Hu
1Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
An efficient and facile gold-catalyzed three-component tandem process for the assembly of two types of highly functionalized butenolides has been developed. In this reaction system, more than four chemical bonds are formed by a single gold catalyst. The present tandem protocol includes a direct coupling of alkynes, amines, and glyoxylic acid and subsequent exclusively endo-selective cycloisomerization of alkynoic acids along with intermolecular electrophilic trapping; it utilizes three simple and commercially available starting materials to assemble architecturally complex and appealing butenolide scaffolds bearing other reactive sites for further manipulation.
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