Palladium Catalyzed Carbonylative Coupling of Alkyl Boron Reagents with Bromodifluoroacetamides

A catalytic protocol for the preparation of alpha,alpha-difluoro-beta-alkyl-beta-ketoamides is developed employing a Pd-mediated carbonylative Suzuki coupling between alkylboron reagents and bromodifluoroacetamides with COgen as the CO source. The reaction reveals good functional group tolerance providing a broad selection of alpha,alpha-difluoro-beta-alkyl-beta-ketoamides in moderate to good yields, which represent useful precursors for further synthetic manipulation. Finally, the methodology is amenable to C-13-isotope labeling at the ketone carbon applying C-13-COgen.