Abstract

The reaction of tris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium chloride [RhCl(PPh3)3] with diethylzinc (Et2Zn) easily afforded a rhodium-hydride complex that effects the 1,4-reduction of α,β-unsaturated esters to give rhodium enolates. Formation of the rhodium enolate is followed by transmetalation with the zinc species to give a Reformatsky-type reagent, and this reacts with various acid chlorides at the α-position to give β-keto esters. The Reformatsky-type reagent also reacts with various electrophiles such as aldehydes, ketones and acid anhydrides to give the corresponding products in which the electrophiles were introduced reductively at the α-position of α,β-unsaturated esters.

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