Fast, efficient and green! Highly regioselective and efficient catalyst‐ and halogen‐free Friedel–Crafts α‐ketoacylation reactions leading to heterocycles functionalized with a very versatile 1,3‐diketone moiety are described. The reactions rely on microwave‐assisted domino Wolff rearrangement/Friedel–Crafts sequences from 2‐diazo‐1,3‐diketones via transient, highly reactive α‐keto ketene intermediates
Zn(OAc)2-catalyzed highlyregioselective carbonylacetylation of indoles and pyrroles with α-diazoketones has been developed. This transformation involves a combination of Wolff rearrangement/cross-coupling relay and provides an efficient approach to versatile 3-carbonylacetylindoles and 2-carbonylacetylpyrroles with a broad range of functionalgroup tolerance.