Carbene Transfer - A New Pathway for Propargylic Esters in Gold Catalysis

Gold (homepage: http://www.hashmi.de) carbenes generated via 1,2-migration of a propargylic ester group can be transferred over a tethered alkyne. The use of aromatic backbones leads after a 1,7-carbene transfer to a benzyl-stabilized carbene as intermediate. A 1,2-shift of a methyl group delivers vinyl-substituted beta-naphthol derivatives as the final products.