Difluoro-lambda3-bromane-induced oxidative carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions: ethanol as an electrophilic partner and alkynes as nucleophiles.

Reported here for the first time are the oxidative couplings of alkynes and primary alcohols yielding conjugated enones. Although the BF3-catalyzed reaction of terminal alkynes with p-trifluoromethylphenyl(difluoro)-lambda3-bromane results in the fluoro-lambda3-bromanation of triple bonds to afford (E)-beta-fluorovinyl-lambda3-bromanes, reaction of an alkyne with the difluoro-lambda3-bromane in the presence of an alcohol and BF3-Et2O affords directly conjugated enones in good yields. The reaction proceeds in a highly stereo- and regioselective manner under metal-free conditions. Interestingly, no formation of enones was detected, when difluoro-lambda3-iodane p-CF3C6H4IF2 was used instead of the lambda3-bromane. A mechanism involving a lambda3-bromane-induced oxidation of an alcohol to an aldehyde, [2 + 2] cyclization with alkynes yielding 2H-oxetes, and finally the electrocyclic ring opening is discussed.