Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Oxidative Cross-Coupling of 2-Naphthols with Aryl Methyl Ketones

A copper-catalyzed asymmetric oxidative cross-coupling reaction of 2-naphthols with aryl methyl ketones has been developed. This transformation provides an efficient route to various functionalized naphtho[2,1-b]furan-1(2H)-ones in an enantiomerically enriched manner with molecular oxygen in air as the oxidant (52-89% yields, up to 87% ee). The reaction leads to the formation of a new quaternary carbon center within 3(2H)-furanones.