Alkynophilic cationic gold(I) complexes are very active catalysts for reactions of enynes that proceed exclusively through cyclopropyl carbene complexes as intermediates (see scheme). With such catalysts, the first examples of endocyclic skeletal rearrangements under mild conditions have been observed

Gold(I) complexes are the most active catalysts for alkoxy- or hydroxycyclization and for skeletal rearrangement reactions of 1,6-enynes. Intramolecular alkoxycyclizations also proceed efficiently in the presence of gold(I) catalysts. The first examples of the skeletal rearrangement of enynes by the endocyclic cyclization pathway are also documented. Iron(III) is also able to catalyze exo and endo skeletal rearrangements of 1,6-enynes, although the scope of this transformation is more limited. The gold(I)-catalyzed endocyclic cyclization proceeds by a mechanism different from those followed in the presence of PdII, HgII, or RhI catalysts.

Support for the direct route: That cyclobutenes are not necessary intermediates in the skeletal rearrangement of enynes is supported by DFT calculations and kinetic studies. Cyclobutenes may arise from the corresponding syn-cyclopropylgold(I) carbene

1-en-6-ynes react with alcohols or water in the presence of PtCl2 as catalyst to give carbocycles with alkoxy or hydroxy functional groups at the side chain. The reaction proceeds by anti attack of the alkene onto the (eta2-alkyne)platinum complex. The formation of the C-C and C-O bonds takes place stereoselectively by trans addition of the electrophile derived from the alkyne and the nucleophile to the double bond of the enyne. Formation of five- or six-membered carbo- or heterocycles could be obtained from 1-en-6-ynes depending on the substituents on the alkene or at the tether. Although more limited in scope, Ru(II) and Au(III) chlorides also give rise to alkoxy- or hydroxycyclization of enynes. On the basis of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, a cyclopropyl platinacarbene complex was found as the key intermediate in the process. In the presence of polar, nonnucleophilic solvents, 1-en-6-ynes are cycloisomerized with PtCl2 as catalyst. Formation of a platinacyclopentene intermediate is supported by DFT calculations. The reaction takes place by selective hydrogen abstraction of the trans-allylic substituent. Cycloisomerization of enynes containing disubstituted alkenes could be carried out using RuCl3 or Ru(AsPh3)4Cl2 in MeOH.

Phosphine and bidentate N-N ligands inhibit the Alder-ene-type cycloisomerization of enynes catalyzed by Pt(II) and favor the alkoxycyclization process. The enantioselective Pt(II)-catalyzed alkoxycyclization has been studied in the presence of chiral mono-and bidentate phosphines, as well as chiral bidentate N-N ligands. Modest levels of enantioselection (up to 50% ee) have been obtained with Tol-BINAP as ligand. The alkoxycyclizations with a catalyst formed from [Au(L)Cl]/AgX proceed more readily, and up to 94% ee's have been obtained using [(AuCl) 2 (Tol-BINAP)] (47) as the precatalyst. The X-ray crystal structures of Au(I) complexes 47 and chloro-(R)-2-(tert-butylsulfenyl)-1-(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene gold(I) (39) show the AuCl fragments monocoordinated with the P centers of the chiral phosphine ligands.

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Gold(I) complexes are the most active catalysts for the biscyclopropanation of dienynes to form tetracyclic compounds. PtII and ZnII are also able to promote the biscyclopropanation, although less efficiently. The configurations obtained in all cases with the use of gold(I) catalysts can be explained by the pathway proceeding through anti cyclopropyl gold carbenes. Similar intermediates are most probably involved in reactions catalyzed by RuII and PtII. Two different cyclopropanation pathways have been found; they depend on the structures of the cyclopropyl gold carbenes (anti or syn) and the relative arrangements of the metal carbenes and the alkenes.

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