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Updated: May 1, 2026

Metal-free Synthesis of Ynones from Acyl Chlorides and Potassium Alkynyltrifluoroborate Salts
Published on: February 24, 2015
Copper(I)-catalyzed nucleophilic addition of ynamides to acyl chlorides and activated N-heterocycles
Peng Zhang1, Andrea M Cook, Yang Liu
1Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University , Washington, DC 20057, United States.
Abstract:
The addition of ynamides to acyl chlorides and N-heterocycles activated in situ with ethyl chloroformate has been accomplished at room temperature using copper iodide as catalyst. This economical and practical carbon-carbon bond formation provides convenient access to a variety of 3-aminoynones from aliphatic and aromatic acyl chlorides in up to 99% yield. The addition to pyridines and quinolines occurs under almost identical conditions and proceeds with good to high regioselectivity, producing the corresponding 1,2-dihydro-N-heterocycles in up to 95% yield.
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