Oxalyl chloride as carbonyl synthon in Pd-catalyzed carbonylations of triarylbismuth and triarylindium organometallic nucleophiles

Oxalyl chloride has been demonstrated to function as Cl carbonyl synthon in the carbonylations of triarylbismuth and triarylindium nucleophiles under palladium-catalyzed conditions. All the three aryl groups from both bismuth and indium reagents participated in carbonylative couplings to afford the corresponding functionalized ketones in high yields. This study also disclosed a novel utilization of oxalyl chloride as facile alternative source of CO for carbonylations under palladium catalysis. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.