Chemistry Letters, Vol.40, No.11, 1285-1287, 2011
Concise Synthesis of beta,beta-Diaryl Esters and Ketones from Ethynylcarbonyl Compounds by Rhodium-catalyzed Double Arylation with Arylboroxins
3,3-Diarylpropanoate esters were prepared from tert-butyl propiolate and arylboroxins in high yields through the rhodium-catalyzed double arylation of beta-alkoxyacrylate, which was generated in situ from tert-butyl propiolate and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol. The present method was also successfully applied to the double arylation of ethynyl ketones.