Transmetalation from diketones

In this section we will deal with complexes obtained by deprotonation or transmetalation from compounds containing two carbonyl groups. Although derivatives of aldehydes and esters are also included, they all will be addressed as diketonato. Various organic parent compounds can be distinguished (i) the most important are a-, and other diketones (ii) compounds in which one or two of the keto forms are less important than the enol... 

The carbonylation of aryl iodides in the presence of alkyl iodides and Zn Cu couple affords aryl alkyl ketones via the formation of alkylzinc species from alkyl iodides followed by transmetallation and reductive elimination[380]. The Pd-catalyzed carbonylation of the diaryliodonium salts 516 under mild conditions in the presence of Zn affords ketones 517 via phenylzinc. The a-diketone 518 is formed as a byproduct[381],... 

In the following year, this method was also applied to the total synthesis of tjipanazole FI (371) (784). For this synthesis, the required bisindole 1444 was obtained starting from 5-chloroindole (1440) in three steps and 47% overall yield. Acylation of 1440 with oxalyl chloride led to the glyoxylic acid chloride 1441. Transmetalation of indolylmagnesium bromide with zinc chloride, followed by addition of the acid chloride, provided the ot-diketone 1443. Exhaustive reduction of 1443 with lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlFl4) afforded the corresponding bisindolylethane 1444. Executing a similar reaction sequence as shown for the synthesis of tjipanazole F2 (372) (see Scheme 5.243), the chloroindoline (+ )-1445 was transformed to tjipanazole FI (371) in two steps and 50% overall yield (784) (Scheme 5.244). 

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