Gold‐catalyzed Intermolecular Oxidations of 2‐Ketonyl‐1‐ethynyl Benzenes with N‐Hydoxyanilines to Yield 2‐Aminoindenones via Gold Carbene Intermediates

Gold-catalyzed oxidations of 2-ketonyl-1-ethynyl benzenes with N-hydroxyanilines yield 2-aminoindenone derivatives efficiently. Experimental data suggests that this process involves an α-oxo gold carbene intermediate, generated from the attack of N-hydroxyaniline on furylgold carbene intermediate, rather than the typical attack of oxidants on π-alkynes.