Aerobic double dehydrogenative cross coupling between cyclic saturated ketones and simple arenes.

The synthesis of 3-aryl-2-cyclohexenones is a topic of current interest as they are not only privileged structures in bioactive molecules, but they are also relevant feedstocks for the synthesis of substituted phenols or anilines, which are ubiquitous structural elements both in drug design and medicinal chemistry. A simple and sustainable one-pot aerobic double dehydrogenative reaction under mild conditions for the introduction of arenes in the β-position of cyclic ketones has been developed. Starting from the corresponding saturated ketone, this reaction sequence proceeds under relatively low Pd catalyst loading and involves catalytic amounts of electron-transfer mediators (ETMs) under ambient oxygen pressure.