Nickeladihydrofuran. Key intermediate for nickel-catalyzed reaction of alkyne and aldehyde

The formation of a nickeladihydrofuran by oxidative cyclization of an alkyne and an aldehyde with nickel(0) has been demonstrated; the transformation of the nickeladihydrofuran into an enone by decomposition, a lactone by carbonylation and an allylic alcohol by treatment with ZnMe(2) suggests that nickeladihydrofuran is an important key intermediate in a variety of catalytic reactions.