Regioselectivity Switch Achieved in the Palladium Catalyzed α-Arylation of Enones by Employing the Modified Kuwajima–Urabe Conditions

A new regioselective approach to the synthesis of α-aryl enones is reported. This represents an important application of the Kuwajima–Urabe protocol toward the synthesis of this simple albeit complex functional array. Several α-aryl enones were synthesized by the palladium catalyzed arylation of triethylsilylenol ethers of enones with high regioselectivity and broad scope, utilizing sterically encumbered electron-rich phosphine ligands to drive the reaction