A synthetically useful approach for the direct α-arylation of carbonyl compounds through a novel oxidative C-C bond activation is reported. This mechanistically unusual process relies on a 1,2-aryl shift and results in all-carbon quaternary centers. The transformation displays broad functional-group tolerance and can in principle also be applied as an asymmetric variant.
Keywords: C−C bond activation; arylation; enolonium species; ketones; umpolung.
© 2019 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.