New Synthesis of Furans: the Rhodium‐Catalysed Carbonylative Addition of Arylboronic Acids to Propargylic Alcohols/ Cyclisation Sequence

Abstract

Abstract The rhodium‐catalysed carbonylative addition of arylboronic acids to propargylic alcohols yields gamma‐hydroxy enones that are readily cyclised through a dehydration step to the corresponding furan analogues. The transformation was improved thanks to the screening of the reaction conditions and consequent improvements were obtained from the use of dicarbonylrhodium iodide [Rh(CO) 2 I] 2 as catalyst precursor. The generalisation of the reaction was then further investigated by employing variously substituted arylboronic acids and propargylic alcohols.