The first water-tolerant, ketone-type indium homoenolate was synthesized via the oxidative addition of In/InCl(3) to enones. The reaction proceeds exclusively in aqueous media. Both indium and indium(III) chloride are necessary for the smooth conversion of the reaction. Similar results were obtained when InCl or InCl(2) was used in place of In/InCl(3). The synthetic utility of the indium homoenolate was demonstrated through the synthesis of 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds via palladium-catalyzed coupling of indium homoenolate with acid chloride.

We report the generation of aliphatic and benzylic acetylenes via reaction of primary, secondary, and tertiary aliphatic fluorides with various trimethylsilyl acetylides. These reactions are catalyzed by Al and B Lewis acids, most effectively by the extremely fluorophilic tris(pentafluorophenyl)alane, representing the first example of catalytic incorporation of alkynes into aliphatic C-F positions. The fluorophilicity of the catalysts gives rise to fluorine selectivity over other halogens, allowing orthogonal reactivity pathways.

RSC Adv. 6 (2016) 48, 42708-42712, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C6RA09429E ; Dep. Chem., Natl. Univ. Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore; Eng.) -M. Tismer 38-050

A free-radical approach for the synthesis of functionalized 1,5-diketones has been accomplished through an effective combination play between alkenylacylphosphonates and keto-xanthates as radical surrogates of enolates and enones, respectively.