2-Aryl-2-cyclohexenones, table

This cuprate also underwent the conjugate addition with acyclic enones, for example, 2-hexene-4-one, to give 5-methyl-3-tridecanone in 47% yield. We have not attempted further optimization. Reaction of this calcium cuprate with a sterically hindered enone, for example, isophorone, produced <3% of the desired compound in 24h. The isolated yield, however, increased to 84% when the additives BF3 etherate and chlorotrimethylsilane [12] were used. In the aryl case, / -tolylcalcium cuprate also underwent this transformation with 2-cyclohexenone to give 3-(p-methylphenyl)cyclohexanone in reasonable yield (Table 9.3). 

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