A metal- and oxidant-free method for preparing 3-selenocyanato-substituted chromones from 2-hydroxyphenyl enaminones by using a newly developed electrophilic selenocyanating reagent is reported­. A series of 3-selenocyanato- or 3-thiocyanato-substituted chromones, as well as 3-selenocyanato- or 3-thiocyanato-substituted quinolinones was obtained in good to excellent yields under grinding reaction conditions. The generality and utility of this approach were demonstrated by a scale-up reaction and transformations of one of the products.

An enantioselective ring-opening formal [3+2]-cycloaddition of spirovinylcyclopropyl oxindoles with enals via synergistic catalysis of palladium(0) and chiral organocatalyst has been developed, affording spirooxindoles bearing four contiguous stereocenters in good yields...

A series of benzo[b]carbazole and cyclohepta[b]indole derivatives were afforded in a 77% average yield with excellent regioselectivities enabled by Au(i)/Sc(iii) bimetallic relay catalysis.

The unexpected gold‐catalyzed formal [3+2]‐cycloaddition of N‐2,2,2‐trifluoroethylisatin ketimines with 2‐(1‐Alkynyl)‐2‐alken‐1‐ones is reported. Both diastereomers of the corresponding cycloadducts were formed in moderate to excellent yields with excellent diastereoselectivities by switching the catalytic system from mono‐gold to gold/silver bimetallic catalytic system. The practicality of this protocol is demonstrated by scale‐up reaction and the transformations of the cycloadduct.

The diastereoselective assembly of spiroindolenines via a synergistic scandium/gold-catalyzed dearomative spiroannulation is herein described. This protocol offers access to a wide variety of spiroindolenine derivatives in 86% average yield with moderate to excellent diastereoselectivities (up to 97:3 dr). The control experimental studies lend support to the bimetallic relay catalysis. Moreover, the scale-up reaction and synthetic transformations of spiroindolenine product further demonstrate its synthetic utility.