Alkynes as Equivalents of α-Diazo Ketones in Generating α-Oxo Metal Carbenes: A Gold-Catalyzed Expedient Synthesis of Dihydrofuran-3-ones

An expedient and reliable method for accessing reactive α-oxo gold carbenes via gold-catalyzed intermolecular oxidation of terminal alkynes has been developed. Significantly, this method offers a safe and economical alternative to the strategies based on diazo substrates. Its synthetic potential is demonstrated by expedient preparation of dihydrofuran-3-ones containing a broad range of functional groups.