Studies on elimination pathways of β-halovinyl ketones leading to allenyl and propargyl ketones and furans under the action of mild bases.

The elimination pathway of stereochemically defined β-halovinyl ketones has been investigated using a mild base, NEt(3), leading to the formation of allenyl ketones and propargyl ketones. A preferential α-vinyl enolization of (E)-β-chlorovinyl ketones has been observed where a nonplanar s-cis conformation is proposed as a dominant conformation as opposed to a planar s-cis conformation of (Z)-β-chlorovinyl ketones. Other eliminative pathways, such as concerted syn- and anti-E2 as well as γ-deprotonation, are excluded on the basis of the deuterium isotope studies. The synthetic utility of the elimination reaction of β-chlorovinyl ketones was further demonstrated for a one-pot synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted furans in the presence of 1 mol % CuCl.