Chemoselective Reduction and Transesterification of α-Keto Propargylic Esters Mediated by NaBH₄ and CeCl₃ · 7H₂O

Abstract

An efficient one-pot synthesis of α -hydroxy propargylic esters by chemoselective reduction followed by transesterification using NaBH₄ in combination with CeCl₃ · 7H₂O is described.

Keywords:

• NaBH₄/CeCl₃ · 7H₂O
• reduction
• transesterification

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

One of the authors (Thangavel Saravanan) thanks Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and the University Grants Commission, India, for the fellowship. We thank the Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility (SAIF) and Department of Chemistry, IIT Madras, for NMR and mass analysis.

Notes

^a Methyl 4-phenyl-2-oxobut-3-ynoate and ethyl 4-phenyl-2-oxobut-3-ynoate were synthesized according to the literature report.^{[ 5 ]}