A gold-catalyzed cyclization/nucleophilic addition reaction of o-alkynylanilines with ynamides: stereoselective synthesis of 3-vinylindoles

The steric hindrance effect of the JohnPhosAu(MeCN)SbF 6 ligand and the π–π stacking interaction between the phenyl group on the indole and the phenyl group of the ynamide enhance the selectivity towards the E -configuration in the reaction.