Formic acid oxidatively cleaves 1,2,3,4-tetraaryl-2-butene-1,4-diones to 1,2-diaryl-1,2-ethanediones under microwave irradiation

摘要

Formic acid oxidatively cleaves 1,2,3,4-tetraaryl-2-butene-1,4-diones (1,2-aroylstilbenes) to 1,2-diaryl-1,2-ethanediones (benzils) under microwave irradiation.Mechanistic probing revealed that formic acid incorporates one of its oxygen atoms into benzil.