Copper-Catalyzed Cascade Cyclization of 2-Propynolphenols: Access to 4-Phosphorylated 2H-Chromenes

A novel copper-catalyzed cascade cyclization of easily prepared 2-propynolphenols with disubstituted phosphine oxide is developed to give 4-phosphorylated 2H-chromenes in moderate to excellent yields. This cascade process involves multiple bond-forming events including C−O and C−P bonds. Moreover, both tertiary and secondary propargylic alcohols with diverse functional groups showed excellent compatibilities under ligand and additive-free conditions.