Gold(i)-catalyzed enantioselective synthesis of polycyclic indoline skeletons and enantiomerically enriched β-substituted tryptamine-allenes by kinetic resolution.

A gold(i)-catalyzed highly efficient kinetic resolution of indole-allene derivatives has been demonstrated, providing enantiomerically enriched polycyclic indolines possessing four stereogenic centers including an all-carbon quaternary center in a spirocyclic framework and β-substituted tryptamine derivatives in good to excellent ee values and high s selectivities with good functional group tolerance under mild conditions in an atom-economical way.