Copper(I)-Catalyzed Synthesis of Functionalized Indolizinones from Substituted Pyridine Homologated Ynones.

An efficient two-component copper-catalyzed cyclization cascade approach toward highly functionalized indolizinone heterocycles has been developed from reactions of pyridine-, isoquinoline-, and quinoline ynones, via 5-exo-dig cyclization. The catalysis involves the activation by diorgano diselenide and diorgano disulfide and also their incorporation into the indolizinone core. In addition, the obtained substituted indolizinones were readily transformed into 1-(organochalcogenyl)indolizin-2-ols, which are important building blocks in organic synthesis.