Silver salt-promoted direct cross-coupling reactions of alkynylsilanes with aryl iodides: synthesis of aryl-substituted alkynylamides

A direct cross-coupling reaction of 5-trimethylsilyl-4-pentynamides (alkynylsilanes) 1 with aryl iodides, promoted by silver carbonate in the presence of palladium catalyst, afforded aryl-substituted alkynylamides 2, which readily underwent cyclization to form benzylidenelactams 3. This coupling reaction proved to be a useful for synthesis of aryl-substituted alkynes.