Concerted Catalysis by Adjacent Palladium and Gold in Alloy Nanoparticles for the Versatile and Practical [2+2+2] Cycloaddition of Alkynes.

A Pd-Au alloy efficiently catalyzed the [2+2+2] cycloaddition of substituted alkynes. Whereas monometallic Pd and Au catalysts were totally ineffective, Pd-Au alloy nanoparticle catalysts with a low Pd/Au molar ratio showed high activity to give the corresponding polysubstituted arenes in high yields. A variety of substituted alkynes participated in various modes of cycloaddition under Pd-Au alloy catalysis. The Pd-Au alloy catalysts exhibited high air tolerance and reusability.