Photosensitized oxidative addition to gold(i) enables alkynylative cyclization of o-alkylnylphenols with iodoalkynes

The well-established oxidative addition–reductive elimination pathway is the most followed one in transition metal-catalysed cross-coupling reactions. While readily occurring with a series of transition metals, gold(i) complexes have shown some reluctance to undergo oxidative addition unless special sets of ligands on gold(i), reagents or reaction conditions are used. Here we show that under visible-light irradiation, an iridium photocatalyst triggers—via triplet sensitization—the oxidative addition of an alkynyl iodide onto a vinylgold(i) intermediate to deliver C(sp)2–C(sp) coupling products after reductive elimination. Mechanistic and modelling studies support that an energy-transfer event takes place, rather than a redox pathway. This particular mode of activation in gold homogenous catalysis was applied in several dual catalytic processes. Alkynylbenzofuran derivatives were obtained from o-alkynylphenols and iodoalkynes in the presence of catalytic gold(i) and iridium(iii) complexes under blue light-emitting diode irradiation. Studies into gold-catalysed cross-coupling reactions have expanded over recent decades; however, oxidative addition to gold(i) complexes remains challenging. Now it has been shown that a dual catalytic transformation involving iridium photosensitization to trigger oxidative addition to organogold intermediates enables C(sp2)–C(sp) cross-coupling reactions that are useful for the alkynylation of benzofurans.