Tricarbonyliron complexes of 3-buten-2-one, 3-penten-2-one, and 4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one reacted with organolithium and Grignard reagents to afford 1,4-diketones in one step, some of the products are amenable to convertion to natural products.
Disclosed is a composition comprising (A) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an ether compound having two or more ether groups, a trivalent phosphorus compound, and a ketone compound, (B) a boron trihalide, and (C) an episulfide compound.