Highly substituted, very hindered enones were synthesized using a two-step procedure that utilizes a diiodosamarium-promoted Reformatsky-type coupling and dehydration using Martin sulfurane. Both α-chloro-and α-bromoketones were coupled with a variety of carbonyl nucleophiles to form the intermediate β-hydroxyketones, occurring with excellent diastereoselectivity, favoring the syn isomer (R 1 = Me). This technique complements other methods and enables the preparation of enones outside of the scope of current olefination methodology.The β-hydroxyketone and α,β-unsaturated ketone are frequently used as sites of fragment couplings in target-oriented synthesis. 1,2 In numerous natural products, a quaternary alkylsubstituted carbon exists adjacent to this functional group (Figure 1). 3 However despite this prevalence, these highly hindered enones are rarely exploited as a site of fragment assembly. 4,5 The significant steric demand posed by these α-quaternary carbon centers prevents the use of most techniques commonly used to form similar, less sterically hindered systems. 6,7 The Reformatsky reaction is an excellent synthetic tool for site-selective formation and subsequent elaboration of an enolate. 8 Many metals such as magnesium, chromium and zinc can be used to promote this transformation. Nevertheless, only a few examples of such reactions involving quaternary substitution adjacent to the α-bromoketone have been described. Dubois has reported the use of chromium(II) chloride to promote the Reformatsky-type coupling of pinacolone-type α-bromoketones with aldehydes; 9 however, to date this coupling has found limited utility. Other metallic species, namely magnesium 10 and diethylzinc, 11 have been used to promote the pinacolone-type Reformatsky-type coupling, but the low degree of functional group compatibility of these reagents places significant restrictions on these methods. 12 Since the advent of diiodosamarium as a reagent in organic synthesis, it has been extensively employed in intramolecular Reformatsky-type reactions. 13 In contrast, this reagent has found little use in intermolecular Reformatsky-type coupling reactions, presumably due to the numerous side reactions that can occur. 14 Our recent total synthesis of (+)-acutiphycin tfj@mit.edu.