Ethyl trifluoropyruvate, alkylation with

Prakash, Olah, and co-workers256 have prepared Mosher s acid analogs by the hydroxyalkylation of substituted benzenes with ethyl trifluoropyruvate [Eq. (5.95)]. Deactivated aromatics (fluorobenzene, chlorobenzene) required the use of excess triflic acid indicative of superelectrophilic activation.3 5 In contrast to these observations, Shudo and co-workers257 reported the formation gem-diphenyl-substituted ketones in the alkylation of benzene with 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds [Eq. (5.96)]. In weak acidic medium (6% trifluoroacetic acid-94% triflic acid), practically no reaction takes place. With increasing acidity the reaction accelerates and complete conversion is achieved in pure triflic acid, indicating the involvement of diprotonated intermediates. 

Convenient routes to methyl-2-oxalylimino- and 2-(phosphonoformimido)-3,3,3-trifluoropropanoates (165) have been elaborated, based on the reaction of methyl trifluoropyruvate (166) with ethyl oxamate or diethyl carbomoylphosphonate, respectively, followed by dehydration and then alkylation. ... 

N-Boc-protected ethyl trifluoropyruvate imine was effectively used in a F-C reaction with indole derivatives for synthesizing, in high selectivities, quaternary a-amino acids via catalysis with chiral phosphoric acid 26e [64]. A binaphthyl-based chiral sulfonimide [42c] and a chiral squaramide-based hydrogen bond donor [42a] were used as effective catalysts for promoting F-C reaction of indoles with imines. Recently, the F-C alkylation of arenes with glyoxylate imine was described via a chiral phosphoric add (Scheme 35.11) [34]. 

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