Developed
herein is a Cu(II)-catalyzed Meyer–Schuster-type
rearrangement of alkyne-tethered cyclohexadienone for the construction
of m-enone-substituted phenols. The reaction involves
an uncommon 5-exo-trig 1,6-enyne cyclization of alkyne-tethered-cyclohexadienone,
aromatization-triggered C–O bond cleavage, and an electrocyclic
4π-ring-opening of oxetene intermediate. This atom-efficient
transformation provides access to a wide range of synthetically important
α-(m-substituted phenol)-α,β-unsaturated
ketones, featuring a broad scope with labile functional group tolerance.
The gram-scale demonstration makes this transformation synthetically
viable. The synthetic application of α,β-unsaturated ketones
is also showcased.