Cationic Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Reductive Cyclization of Alkynyl Cyclohexadienones

A cationic palladium­(II)-catalyzed reductive cyclization of cyclohexadienone-containing 1,6-enynes by using ethanol as a hydrogen donor and solvent was successfully developed. This procedure offers convenient access to cyclohexenone-annulated heterocycles under mild reaction conditions. The reaction was initiated by hydropalladation of the alkyne and was quenched by addition of the intramolecular conjugate alkene. This possible mechanism was preliminarily demonstrated by deuterium-labeling experiments.