Selective Monoarylation of Aromatic Ketones and Esters via Cleavage of Aromatic Carbon-Heteroatom Bonds by Trialkylphosphine Ruthenium Catalysts.

We report here the ruthenium-catalyzed selective monoarylation of aromatic ketones bearing two ortho carbon-heteroatom (O or N) bonds. Under the newly developed catalyst system consisting of RuHCl(CO)(PiPr3)2, CsF, and styrene, the C-O arylation of 2',6'-dimethoxyacetophenone with a phenylboronate gave the C-O monoarylation product selectively. The selective C-O monoarylation was applicable to a variety of arylboronates and aromatic ketones and proceeds with high regio- and chemoselectivities. A formal synthesis of altertenuol was also achieved using the C-O monoarylation of an aromatic ester as a key step.