Phosphine-Catalyzed Domino β/γ-Additions of Benzofuranones with Allenoates: A Method for Unsymmetrical 3,3-Disubstituted Benzofuranones

A phosphine-catalyzed domino process of benzofuranones with allenoates has been developed which furnishes highly functionalized unsymmetrical 3,3-disubstituted benzofuranones in synthetically useful yields. The mechanism for the transformation is a tandem β-umpolung/γ-umpolung process.