Hydroxyl Group-Prompted and Iridium(III)-Catalyzed Regioselective C-H Annulation of N-phenoxyacetamides with Propargyl Alcohols

An efficient, mild and redox-neutral iridium(III)-catalyzed C-H annulation of N-phenoxyacetamides for the regioselective synthesis of benzofurans has been developed by employing tertiary propargyl alcohols as the versatile coupling partners. The computed results together with the experimental data revealed that the hydroxyl group of tertiary propargyl alcohols acts as the key factor in controlling the regioselectivity and tuning the reactivity.