Acylketene acetals in organic synthesis

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)80937-6

The preparation and reactivity of achiral and enantiomerically pure acylketene acetals are described. The key reactions of these substrates involve facile conjugate hydroboration and organolithium addition. Enantiomerically pure acylketene acetals were employed to generate a homochiral β-keto ketal through a highly diastereoselective lithium enolate quench. This β-ketal, which was also prepared through a desymmetrization ketalization reaction on a meso dione, was employed in the synthesis of the insect pheromone sitophilure.