Copper-catalyzed oxidative ring closure and carboarylation of 2-ethynylanilides.

A new copper-catalyzed oxidative ring closure of ethynyl anilides with diaryliodonium salts was developed for the highly modular construction of benzoxazines bearing a fully substituted exo double bond. The oxidative transformation includes an unusual 6-exo-dig cyclization step with the formation of C-O and C-C bonds.