FACILE PALLADIUM-MEDIATED CONVERSION OF ETHANETHIOL ESTERS TO ALDEHYDES AND KETONES

Treatment of ethanethiol esters with triethylsilane and palladium on c arbon at ambient temperature furnished aldehydes. In addition, a varie ty of ketones have been prepared by a palladium-catalyzed reaction of ethanethiol esters with organozinc reagents. Various functional groups , including esters, ketones, aromatic halides and aldehydea, tolerate both transformation reactions. These novel reactions can also be appli ed to the synthesis of alpha-amino aldehyde and alpha-amino ketone der ivatives using the corresponding L-alpha-amino thiol eaters without ca using racemization.