Atroposelective Synthesis of Axially Chiral All‐Benzenoid Biaryls by the Gold‐Catalyzed Intramolecular Hydroarylation of Alkynones

The cationic gold(I)/( R )‐xyl‐binap complex was shown to catalyze the atroposelective intramolecular hydroarylation of alkynones to produce enantioenriched axially chiral all‐benzenoid biaryls, 4‐aryl‐2‐naphthol derivatives, with up to 67 % ee . The reaction of a racemic alkynone in the presence of the same gold(I) catalyst also afforded the corresponding axially chiral all‐benzenoid biaryl in excellent yield with 70 % ee .