Expeditious Access to Spiro-Fused 2,5-Cyclohexadienones via Thio(seleno)cyanative ipso-Cyclization

A facile oxidative dearomatization of N-(p-methoxyaryl)propiolamides has been established for the synthesis of spiro-fused 2,5-cyclohexadienone frameworks via thio(seleno)cyanative ipso-cyclization in the presence of ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) as the oxidant. The present method, involving the formation of C-S and C-C bonds, was also extended to (p-methoxyaryl)propiolates for thiocyanative ipso-cyclization. Furthermore, the obtained chalcogeno-spirocyclohexadienones were transformed into uniquely functionalized spirocyclohexadienone derivatives.