Rapid synthesis of arylgold compounds using dielectric heating.

Dielectric heating has been successfully used in the preparation of a range of arylgold compounds. The approach is tolerant of a number of functional groups and rapidly generates the organometallic complexes in moderate to excellent yields.

Phospha-Michael additions to activated internal alkenes: steric and electronic effects.

The addition of P(O)-H bonds to internal alkenes has been accomplished under solvent-free conditions without the addition of a catalyst or radical initiator. Using a prototypical secondary phosphine oxide, a range of substrates including cinnamates, crotonates, coumarins, sulfones, and chalcones were successfully functionalized. Highly activated acceptors such as isopropylidenemalononitrile and ethyl 2-cyano-3-methyl-2-butenoate underwent the phospha-Michael reaction upon simple trituration of the reagents at room temperature, whereas less activated substrates such as ethyl cinnamate and methyl crotonate required heating (>150 °C) in a microwave reactor to achieve significant consumption of the starting alkenes.