Copper-Catalyzed Coupling of Pyridines and Quinolines with Alkynes:  A One-Step, Asymmetric Route to Functionalized Heterocycles

A copper (I)-catalyzed, asymmetric method to directly functionalize pyridines, quinolines, and isoquinolines with terminal alkynes is described. The reaction is readily diversified to incorporate a range of pyridine-based heterocycles and electron-rich or electron-poor alkynes. This provides a straightforward alternative to nucleophilic or cross-coupling approaches to directly derivatize these heterocycles, and yields useful propargylcarbamates.