Au-Cavitands: Size governed arene-alkyne cycloisomerization

With an inwardly directed reactive center and a well-defined binding pocket, Au(I) functionalized resorcin[4]arene cavitands have been shown to catalyze molecular transformations. The reactivity profiles that emerge differ from other Au(I) catalysts. The added constraint of a binding pocket gives rise to the possibility that the substrates might have to fit into the resorcinarene pocket; our hypothesis is that substrates that match the available space have different reaction outcomes than those that do not. Herein we report on the intramolecular cyclization of alkyne-aromatic substrates with variable alkynes and aromatic composition. We see that scaffold size most drastically dictates reactivity, especially when the substrate's features are particularly designed. The results of these experiments add to the veritable goldmine of information about the selectivity in catalysis that cavitands offer.