Silver‐Catalyzed Decarboxylative Couplings of Acids and Anhydrides: An Entry to 1,2‐Diketones and Aryl‐Substituted Ethanes

Abstract Silver‐catalyzed oxidative decarboxylative couplings of carboxylic acids and anhydrides to produce 1,2‐diketones and substituted ethanes were developed. This reaction allows the generation of acyl or alkyl radicals by decarboxylation of the corresponding α ‐keto acids, alkyl acids and anhydrides, which are sequentially coupled to efficiently construct a new C−C bond. This reaction represents a carboxylic acid decarboxylative alternative that employs a radical termination strategy. magnified image