Rh-Catalyzed Carbonylative Cyclization of Propargylic Alcohols with Aryl Boronic Acids.

2(3 H )-Furanones are tremendously important not only because of their wide occurrence in bioactive compounds but also due to their versatility in organic synthesis. Here, a straightforward approach to 2(3 H )-furanones from readily available tertiary propargylic alcohols with arylboronic acids in the presence of CO using rhodium as a catalyst has been established. The method exhibits a broad substrate scope tolerating useful functional groups with a moderate to high stereoselectivity.