1-ALKOXYCARBONYLALKYLIDENETRIPHENYLARSORANES - PREPARATION AND REACTIONS

The higher homologues of the well-studied alkoxycarbonylmethylenetriph enylarsonium(1) ylide (3, R=H) can be easily obtained through the sequ ence: a). preparation of alkyl 2-trifloxyalkanoates (1); b), reaction between these trifloxyderivatives and triphenylphosphine to give 1-alk oxycarbonylalkyltriphenylarsonium triflates (2); and c), basic treatme nt of the triphenylarsonium triflates (2) with alumina-supported potas sium fluoride to give 1-alkoxycarbonylalkyledenetriphenylarsonium ylid es (3). These higher homologues of(3, R=H) react with aromatic aldehyd es in good to excellent yields. and give rise to synthetically interes ting ''coupling'' and cyclopropanation reactions.