Gold-catalysed oxyarylation of styrenes and mono- and gem-disubstituted olefins facilitated by an iodine(III) oxidant.

1-Hydroxy-1,2-benziodoxol-3(1H)-one (IBA) is an efficient terminal oxidant for gold-catalysed, three-component oxyarylation reactions. The use of this iodine(III) reagent expands the scope of oxyarylation to include styrenes and gem-disubstituted olefins, substrates that are incompatible with the previously reported Selectfluor-based methodology. Diverse arylsilane coupling partners can be employed, and in benzotrifluoride, homocoupling is substantially reduced. In addition, the IBA-derived co-products can be recovered and recycled.