Pd-catalyzed carbonylative cross-coupling reactions by triorganoindiums: highly efficient transfer of organic groups attached to indium under atmospheric pressure.

[reaction: see text] A highly atom-efficient synthetic method of unsymmetrical ketones was developed by using trialkyl- and triarylindiums, which could be employed as effective cross-coupling partners in Pd-catalyzed carbonylative cross-coupling reactions with a variety of organic electrophiles. The present method produced unsymmetrical ketones and 1,4-diacylbenzenes in good yields with highly efficient transfer of almost all the organic groups attached to the indium under atmospheric pressure of CO gas in THF at 66 degrees C.