Structural requirements for decarbonylative α,α-diarylation reaction of 2-methoxyalkanoic acids in phosphorus pentoxide-methanesulfonic acid mixture yielding 1,1-diarylalkane homologs

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(97)00996-4

2-Methoxyalkanoic acids were found to undergo consecutive decarbonylative α,α-diarylation in P₂O₅-MsOH instead of Friedel-Crafts type arylation on the carbonyl carbon. The influence of the substituents of the arenes and the carboxylic acids in this reaction was elucidated based on the reaction yields. The reaction behavior was found to be primarily governed by the electron-withdrawing/releasing property of the α-substituents on the carboxylic acids as well as the positive species-accepting ability of the arenes. The steric hindrance was shown to participate in determining the reaction feasibility as a secondary factor.