Single Bifunctional Ruthenium Catalyst for One‐Pot Cyclization and Hydration giving Functionalized Indoles and Benzofurans

Bifunctional is more than twice as fun! At low loading, catalyst 1 (see scheme) can form two important heterocycle classes, apparently by attack of XH on a vinylidene intermediate. Aza- and nitroindoles can be formed, and all N-protecting groups tested (alkyl, allyl, sulfonyl) were tolerated. The newly formed ring can be deuterated in one step, and for substrates with two terminal alkynes, cyclization can be followed by hydration, making this catalyst uniquely versatile.