Palladium-Catalyzed Cyclocarbonylation-Decarboxylation of Diethyl(2-iodoaryl)malonates with Vinyl Ketones Affording Functionalized Enolic 2-Acyl-3,4-dihydronaphthalenones

A wide variety of enolic tautomers of functionalized 2-acyl-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-ones were obtained in moderate to excellent yields by the palladium-catalyzed cyclocarbonylation-decarboxylation of diethyl(2-iodoaryl)malonates with vinyl ketones and carbon monoxide. The reaction may proceed via the formation of a keto-diester, followed by oxidative addition, CO insertion, intramolecular cyclization, and decarboxylation to give the enolic substituted 2-acyldihydronaphthalenones.