Oxovanadium(v)-induced dl-selective oxidative coupling of (Z)-boron enolate was demonstrated to give the corresponding 2,3-disubstituted 1,4-diketone in a good yield. High selectivity (up to 94 : 6) was attained when the reaction was performed with VO(OPr-i)2Cl at -30 degrees C.
Intermolecularoxidative cross‐coupling of two different enolates is one of the most useful reactions to synthesize unsymmetrical 1,4‐dicarbonyl compounds. In this study, the oxovanadium(V)‐induced intermolecularoxidative cross‐coupling of enolates afforded unsymmetrical 1,4‐dicarbonyl compounds. Various boron and silyl enolates underwent the formation of ketone–ester, ester–ketone, ester–ester, amide–ketone