Facile deoxygenation of dicarbonyl compounds using a samarium diiodide-additive system

The reduction of alpha- and beta-dicarbonyl compounds was investigated with samarium diiodide in the presence of additive. Diketones and ketocarboxylic acids were easily reduced at room temperature to give the mono-alcohols in good to excellent yield, and ketoester afforded the saturated ester as the major product in moderate yield. These reductions containing the reductive deoxygenation can be rapidly performed under the facile and mild conditions by this method.