Acid-mediated specific α,α-diarylation and α-monoarylation reactions of pyruvic acid with/without decarbonylation

Article abstract of DOI:10.1080/00397919908086155

Pyruvic acid (3) was found to be arylated chemoselectively at the α- ketocarbonyl carbon in P₂O₅-MsOH affording decarbonylative α,α-diarylated products 5, decarbonylative α-monoarylated compounds 6, or non- decarbonylative α,α-diarylated adducts 7 depending on the reactivity of arenes (4a-g), in contrast to Lewis acid-catalyzed reaction of its acid chloride (2).