Preparation of aromatic gamma-hydroxyketones by means of Heck coupling of aryl halides and 2,3-dihydrofuran, catalyzed by a palladium(ii) glycine complex under microwave irradiation

A series of aromatic gamma-hydroxyketones were prepared by means of Heck coupling reaction of aryl halides and 2,3-dihydrofuran, catalyzed by PdCl2 center dot Gly(2)and under microwave irradiation. This synthetic transformation involves the formation of an aryl-dihydrofuranoic intermediate, followed by an unusual opening of the heterocycle promoted by a water molecule and the formation of the ketone carbonyl function through keto-enol tautomerism.