Copper‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling of Acylzirconocenes and Diaryliodonium Salts: An Efficient Synthesis of Alkyl‐aryl‐ketones from Alkenes

Abstract An efficient and unprecedented cross‐coupling between acylzirconocenes, readily available starting materials conveniently prepared by hydrozirconation of alkenes and a subsequent carbonylation with carbon monoxide, and diaryliodonium tetrafluoroborates is reported. This procedure enables the synthesis of a broad variety of alkyl‐aryl‐ketones upon simple catalysis with copper cyanide without the need of additional ligands and only requires a low pressure of carbon monoxide generated in situ , in a two‐chamber reactor, from N ‐formylsaccharin.