Chemistry Letters, Vol.29, No.2, 168-169, 2000
Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of alpha-diketones from acylchromates, iodoarenes, and carbon monoxide
A three-component coupling of tetramethylammonium pentacarbonyl(acyl)chromates, aryl iodides, and CO rakes place under CO atmosphere in the presence of a catalytic amount of Pd(PPh3)(4) to afford the corresponding unsymmetrical alpha-diketones in good yield. By performing the reaction under argon atmosphere, unsymmetrical ketones are prepared instead of alpha-diketones.