Copper (I) Enolate Complexes in α-Arylation Reactions: Synthesis, Reactivity, and Mechanism

摘要

The α-arylation of etiolates has become a widely used method to prepare α-aryl carboxylic acid and ketone derivatives that comprise important classes of biologically active compounds. Palladium-catalyzed α-arylation of carbonyl compounds has been developed over the past decade, but the copper-mediated α-arylation of activated methylene compounds has been known for nearly a century [Eq. (1)] . Recently, significant improvements in the scope and reaction conditions of these copper-catalyzed Hurtley-type reactions have been achieved using a combination of copper complexes with ancillary ligands, such as 2-phenylphenol, chelating Schiff bases 1-prolines, and 2-picolinic acid.