Ruthenium Hydride Catalyzed Regioselective Addition of Aldehydes to Enones To Give 1,3-Diketones

A catalytic allylic alkylation was developed via the cross-dehydrogenative-coupling reaction of allylic sp3 C-H and methylenic sp3 C-H catalyzed by copper bromide and cobalt chloride in the presence of an oxidizing reagent, t-BuOOH. This methodology provides a direct way to use allylic sp3 C-H bonds for forming C-C bonds.

A highly efficient intermolecular addition of 1,3-diketones to alkenes catalyzed by AuCl3/AgOTf was developed. A mechanistic rationale for the reaction has been proposed via a alpha-C-H activation.