Synthesis 7-diketones

Conjugate addition to nitro-olefins—1,4-diketone synthesis... 

It is well known that ir-allylpalladium complexes (86) are easily formed by the reaction of PdCb with P. y-unsaturated esters or ketones (85). An attempted oxidation of. y-unsaturated esters and ketones with the PdCl2/CuCl/02 catalyst system in aqueous DMF led to ir-allylpalladium complex formation as the main reaction, and the oxidation of the alkenic bond was hardly observed to a significant extent. However, in aqueous dioxane or THF, the oxidation became the main reaction, giving y-keto esters and 1,4-diketones (87), respectively, with high regioselectivity (Scheme 26).Some results are shown in Table 2. In all cases, no P-keto ester or 1,3-diketone was detected. At the end of the reaction, formation of a considerable amount of the ir-allylpalladium complex (86) was observed. y-Keto esters and 1,4-diketones are useful intermediates for Ae preparation of cyclopentanedione and cyclopentenone, respectively, by base-catalyzed cyclization. Tliis regioselective oxidation provides a unique and efficient synthetic method for y-keto ester and 1,4-diketone synthesis. 

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