Reactions of diethyl dibromomalonate and ethyl 2,2-dichloroacetoacetate with water and carbonyl compounds (aldehydes and ketones) in the presence of pentacarbonyliron

Article abstract of DOI:10.1023/B:RUJO.0000045179.42952.58

Diethyl dibromomalonate and ethyl 2,2-dichloroacetoacetate are effectively reduced with the system pentacarbonyliron-proton-donor compound (water or butyl methyl ketone) to give the corresponding hydrodehalogenation products. These results provide a support for the previous assumption that the key reaction stage is reduction with pentacarbonyliron of initially formed radical to anion which is then involved in proton transfer.