<p><a>Density functional theory exploited with the (SMD)-B3LYP-D3/def2-TZVP//B3LYP/6-31G(d),LANL2DZ
level of theory is presented to offer mechanistic insights and explications of experimentally
intriguing observations in the Au(I)-catalyzed cyclization of cyclic and
acyclic acetals of alkynylaldehydes that lead to indenone formation. The
reactivity of catalytic cycles with and without methoxy migration is
computationally defined when alkyne terminus is phenylated in addition to the
unreactive cycle when alkyne terminus is not phenylated. The reaction mechanism
of indenone formation proceeds first with coordination of Au(I) to alkyne to
initiate the reaction with 1,5-H shift as a rate-determining step and the fastest
1,5-H shift is achieved when one phenyl ring carries electron-donating group
and the other one is substituted with electron-withdrawing group. The absence
of tethered acetal unit considerably outpaces any 1,5-H shift and instead
activates 1,5-methoxy migration, giving methoxy-migrated indenone, with the step
of 1,2-OMe shift is a rate-limiting step during reaction pathway. Following
1,5-H shift the cyclization and 1,2-H shift are kinetically and
thermodynamically feasible, which are followed by elimination to persist the
iterative cycle, but the reactivity of both steps is highly affected by the
existence of phenyl group on alkyne terminus. The unreactivity of alkyne
terminus being not beared a phenyl ring is due to that the cyclization is
thermodynamically disfavorable, subsequently deactivating the 1,2-H shift
kinetically and thermodynamically. </a></p>