Gold-Mediated\nCyclization of <i>N</i>‑Acrylamides\nvia Energy Transfer Photocatalysis

We disclose a gold-mediated photocyclization method for\nthe efficient\nsynthesis of acrylamide-derived β-lactams and 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2-ones,\ntwo privileged bioactive scaffolds. The protocol proceeds with ease,\nproviding good yields of product while exhibiting excellent functional\ngroup tolerance at low catalyst loadings in sustainable solvents.\nAdditionally, reaction times are significantly reduced compared with\nprior-art methods. Notably, the present gold system exhibits superior\nperformance in activating poorly conjugated substrates, which are\ntypically unreactive with other photocatalysts, highlighting the exceptional\nposition of this organogold system among modern photocatalysts.