Arylation palladium acetate - tertiary phosphine

The a-keto amides are less susceptible to hydrolysis and preparation of a-keto esters and acids are preferable for synthesizing various derivatives thereof. Various aryl iodides and bromides can be converted into a-keto esters on reactions with alcohols and carbon monoxide in the presence of a base such as tertiary amines or potassium acetate with catalytic amounts of tertiary phosphine-coordinated palladium complexes (Eq. 11).[42]-[46] jjjgjj yields of a-keto esters can be achieved only when iodide substrates are used. Double carbonylation of aryl bromides to a-keto esters can be accomplished with difficulty at much slower rates. Alkyl and benzyl iodides give no double carbonylation products. 

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