Copper-catalyzed coupling of pyridines and quinolines with alkynes: a one-step, asymmetric route to functionalized heterocycles.

A copper (I)-catalyzed, asymmetric method to directly functionalize pyridines, quinolines, and isoquinolines with terminal alkynes is described. The reaction is readily diversified to incorporate a range of pyridine-based heterocycles and electron-rich or electron-poor alkynes. This provides a straightforward alternative to nucleophilic or cross-coupling approaches to directly derivatize these heterocycles, and yields useful propargylcarbamates.