“…Herein, we present further advancement of this goldcatalysed ring-forming process by way of a formal synthesis of (±)-allocolchicine (±)-5 [8][9][10][11], utilising the orthogonality of the process to palladium catalysis to install the requisite ester via carbonylation [12]. The synthesis has revealed a potent mechanism of catalyst deactivation, with substantial implications from this for the requirement of a change in the nature of the oxidant in further developments of the methodology.…”