Naphthalenes via Gold-Catalyzed Migration-Benzannulation Cascade

Significance

Gold-catalyzed reactions have recently attracted a lot of attention due to their unique ability to create relatively complex carbo­cyclic cores in an atom-economical way. The group of Gevorgyan reported herein an interesting Au(I)-catalyzed tandem 1,3/1,2-migration-benzo­annulation cascade process, starting from propargylic esters and leading to polysubstituted naphthalenes. Beside a useful mechanistic insight, this method gives access to some difficult-to-prepare 1,2,4-trisubstituted naphthalenes.