Palladium-Catalyzed Intramolecular Hydroalkylation of Unactivated Olefins with Dialkyl Ketones

Abstract
Treatment of 3-butenyl heptyl ketone with substoichiometric amounts of PdCl2(CH3CN)2 (10 mol %), HCl (0.1 equiv), and CuCl2 (0.3 equiv) in dioxane at 70 °C for 12 h in a sealed tube formed 2-hexylcyclohexanone in 77% isolated yield. A number of alkyl 3-butenyl ketones underwent hydroalkylation under these conditions to form 2-substituted cyclohexanones in moderate to good yield.