Gold-catalyzed efficient synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted furans from aryloxy-enynes.

A series of (E)-1-aryloxy-1-en-3-ynes has been prepared by Sonogashira coupling of 2-bromo-3-aryloxypropenoates with terminal alkynes using Pd(PPh(3))(4) and CuI as the catalysts in Et(3)N. The resulting enynyl-aryl ethers are found to be highly applicable to the synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted furans with an ester group at C-4 position through an Au/Ag-catalyzed annulation reaction under extremely mild reaction conditions.