Synthesis of 1-arylnaphthalenes by gold-catalyzed one-pot sequential epoxide to carbonyl rearrangement and cyclization with arylalkynes.

Intermolecular and intramolecular reactions of a one-pot gold-catalyzed epoxide rearrangement followed by an electrophilic addition to arylalkynes to synthesize 1-arylnaphthalenes have been reported. The intramolecular reaction has been applied to synthesize 1-arylnaphthalenes fused with saturated furan, pyran, pyrrole, and cyclopentane ring systems.