Cross-coupling reaction of aryl trifluoroacetates with organoboron compounds catalyzed by palladium complexes gives trifluoromethyl ketones in moderate to excellent yields under mild conditions. The catalytic process has been designed on the basis of fundamental studies dealing with oxidative addition of phenyl trifluoroacetate to a Pd(0) complex to give a (phenoxo)(trifluoroacetyl)palladium(II) complex and its subsequent reaction with phenylboronic acid to liberate phenyl trifluoromethyl ketone. The catalytic cycle is proposed to be composed of (a) oxidative addition of the ester to give acyl(aryloxo)palladium intermediate, (b) the subsequent transmetallation with arylboron compounds, and (c) reductive elimination. Palladium(0) complexes, as well as catalysts prepared in situ from palladium acetate and 3 molar amounts of tributylphosphine or phosphite at room temperature, serve as convenient and effective catalysts. The process is applicable to a wide range of phenyl- and naphthylboronic acids to give various aryl trifluoromethyl ketones under mild conditions. Aryl perfluoroalkyl ketone derivatives can be similarly prepared in high yields from various phenyl perfluoroalkanecarboxylates and arylboronic acids.

Various carboxylic acids are catalytically converted into ketones on treatment with organoboron compounds in the presence of activators and palladium catalysts. Detailed examination of factors influencing the yield of ketone formation revealed the following characteristics of the reactions: (a) Palladium complexes containing tertiary phosphine ligands, particularly triphenylphosphine and tricyclohexylphosphine, are most effective among the palladium complexes; (b) Dioxane and THF are suitable as the solvent; (c) Dimethyl dicarbonate is required as the activator to obtain ketones in high yields. The process provides a general, versatile, synthetic method to produce various symmetrical and unsymmetrical ketones with aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic groups. The mechanism proposed for the catalytic process involves (i) exchange reaction of the carboxylic acid employed with dimethyl dicarbonate added as the activator to form a mixed anhydride of the carboxylic acid and mono methyl ester of carbonic acid; (ii) oxidative addition of the mixed anhydride to zerovalent palladium species to give an (acyl)(methyl carbonato)palladium species; (iii) decarboxylation of the methyl carbonato ligand to give (acyl)(methoxo)palladium species; (iv) transmetallation of the (acyl)(methoxo)palladium species with an arylboronic acid to give an (acyl)(aryl)palladium species; and (v) reductive elimination of the (acyl)(aryl)palladium species to liberate the coupling product of the acyl and aryl ligands with regeneration of the Pd(0) species. Not only homogeneous catalyst systems but also heterogeneous systems were found to give ketones under mild conditions. On the basis of the present study involving the acyl(methoxo)palladium complexes generated in the reaction mixture of carboxylic acids with dimethyl dicarbonate on reaction with Pd(0) complexes, we also developed a new catalytic process to convert carboxylic acids with terminal alkynes into α, β-alkynyl ketones under similar conditions.

On the basis of fundamental studies on oxidative addition of carboxylic anhydrides to zerovalent palladium complexes to yield acyl(carboxylato)bis(tertiary phosphine)palladium(II) complexes and their reactions with organoboronic acids to yield ketones, a novel catalytic process has been developed. This converts carboxylic anhydrides and organoboron compounds into ketones catalyzed by palladium complexes under mild conditions. The process provides a general, versatile, synthetic method to produce various symmetrical and unsymmetrical ketones with aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic groups. The catalytic cycle is proposed to comprise (a) oxidative addition of a carboxylic anhydride to produce an acyl(carboxylato)palladium intermediate, (b) transmetallation with an organoboron compound to give an acyl(organo)palladium intermediate, and (c) its reductive elimination to yield a ketone. Not only homogeneous catalyst systems but also heterogeneous systems were found to give ketones under mild conditions.

Cross-coupling reaction of carboxylic acids with organoboron compounds catalyzed by palladium complexes in the presence of an activator such as dimethyl dicarbonate under mild conditions gives ketones in excellent yields except for certain substrates.