Rhenium-catalyzed α-alkylation of enol acetates with alcohols or ethers

Abstract When benzylic and allylic alcohols were treated with enol acetate in the presence of a catalytic amount of a rhenium complex, ReBr(CO) 5 , the carbon-carbon bond formation of the alcohols and enol acetate smoothly proceeded to give the corresponding ketones and aldehyde in moderate to good yields. For the reaction of allylic alcohols, γ,δ-unsaturated carbonyl compounds were obtained in good yields. When ethers were used instead of alcohols as the alkylated agent, two alkyl moieties on the ethers were utilized on the reaction.