Ketones cyclic triketones

The autoxidation of cyclic ketones with dirhenium decacarbonyl under basic catalytic conditions produces dicarboxylic acids (68-73%) bicyclic ketones are converted into keto carboxylic acids and, when one ring is aromatic, quinones are obtained, e.g. 1-tetralone produces 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthaquinone (93%), and H02C(CH2)4C0(CH2)3C02H (85%) is obtained from 1-decalone via a cyclic triketone [5]. 

Base catalysis is not required for conjugate addition. If the nucleophile is sufficiently enolized under the reaction conditions then the enol form is perfectly able to attack the unsaturated carbonyl compound. Enols are neutral and thus soft nucleophiles favouring conjugate attack, and p-dicarbonyl compounds are enolized to a significant extent (Chapter 21). Under acidic conditions there can be absolutely no base present but conjugate addition proceeds very efficiently. In this way methyl vinyl ketone (butenone) reacts with the cyclic P-diketone promoted by acetic acid to form a quaternary centre. The yield is excellent and the triketone product is an important intermediate in steroid synthesis as you will see later in this chapter. 

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