Palladium-catalyzed carbene/alkyne metathesis with enynones as carbene precursors: synthesis of fused polyheterocycles.

An unprecedented palladium-catalyzed novel carbene/alkyne metathesis cascade reaction of alkyne-tethered enynones is described. This reaction affords fused polyheterocycles in moderate to good yields. The transformation begins with Pd-catalyzed 5-exo-dig cyclization of the enynone to form the donor/donor metal carbene, which then undergoes metathesis with the alkyne followed by electrophilic aromatic substitution.