Gold(I)-catalyzed formation of 4-alkylidene-1,3-dioxolan-2-ones from propargylic tert-butyl carbonates

[GRAPHICS] A study concerning the gold(l)-catalyzed rearrangement of propargylic tert-butyl carbonates into 4-alkylidene-1,3-dioxolan-2-ones is described. The mild reaction conditions employed allow the efficient synthesis of a variety of cyclic carbonates that would be less conveniently obtained using reported methods. Variability in the structure of the final product has been observed and is significantly dependent on the nature of the substituent attached to the alkyne moiety.