(Boc-anhydride) to provide the corresponding tert-butyl aryl acetates, di-tert-butyl aryl malonates, unsymmetrical aryl malonates and tert-butyl benzoates in high yields. This reaction represents another useful way to prepare a variety of tert-butyl carboxylates and highlights the synthetic utility of di-tert-butyl dicarbonate as a versatile carboxylating reagent.
A palladium-catalyzed intramolecular decarboxylative cyclization of α-aryl-γ-methylidene-δ-valerolactones, followed by olefin isomerization, has been developed to give fused polycyclic aromatic compounds under mild conditions. The process described here can be regarded as a formal decarboxylative allylic arylation without using a pre-formed organometallic nucleophile. The reaction can be conducted on a gram scale and the products thus obtained are further derivatized with ease.