Mechanistic studies of the phosphine-catalyzed homodimerization of ketoketenes

The mechanism of PBu3-catalyzed homodimerization of ketoketenes has been explored and compared with that of the previously reported trialkylphosphite-mediated reactions. NMR studies of the PBu3-catalyzed reaction implicated the involvement of tetravalent phosphonium intermediates. Phosphonium intermediates in the catalytic cycle were trapped through reaction with trimethylsilyl chloride and 4-chlorobenzaldehyde, and the resulting products were...