Abstract The reaction of carbonic acid esters RCO2R1 with carbanions R2− Metal such as Grignard reagents or enolate anions fails to produce R1− R2 encounters due to preferred attack at the carbonyl function1. We have now discovered that SN1-reactive acetic acid esters undergo smooth CC-bond formation with silyl enol ethers2 in the presence of ZnI2 to afford α-alkylated ketones. Products due to Claisen ester condensation are not observed. ...
[Watanabe, Yoshihiko; Yoneda, Tetsuo; Okumura, Tatsuya; Ueno, Yoshio; Toru, Takeshi Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan, 1993 , vol. 66, # 10 p. 3030 - 3033]
