Aqueous Catalytic Pauson–Khand‐Type Reactions of Enynes with Formaldehyde: Transfer Carbonylation Involving an Aqueous Decarbonylation and a Micellar Carbonylation

Abstract

One rhodium(I) complex catalyzes two processes in an overall Pauson–Khand-type reaction of enynes such as 1 with formaldehyde in an aqueous medium to give bicyclic cyclopentenones such as 2 in excellent yields. The use of a water-soluble phosphane ligand in conjunction with a hydrophobic phosphane ligand in the presence of a surfactant promotes the decarbonylation of formaldehyde in the aqueous phase and the carbonylation of enynes in the micellar phase. Supporting information for this article is available on the WWW under http://www.wiley-vch.de/contents/jc_2002/2003/z51384_s.pdf or from the author. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.