Gold(I)-Catalyzed Dearomative Rautenstrauch Rearrangement: Enantioselective Access to Cyclopenta[<i>b</i>]indoles

A highly enantioselective dearomative Rautenstrauch rearrangement catalyzed by cationic (S)-DTBM-Segphosgold(I) is reported. This reaction provides a straightforward method to prepare enantioenriched cyclopenta[b]indoles. These studies show vast difference in enantioselectivity in the reactions of propargyl acetates and propargyl acetals in the chiral ligand-controlled Rautenstrauch reaction.