Alkoxide-catalyzed addition of alkyl carbonates across alkynes – stereoselective synthesis of (E)-β-alkoxyacrylates

Abstract

Dialkyl carbonates were found to regio- and stereoselectively add to terminal alkynes in the presence of catalytic amounts of potassium methoxide. Various synthetically meaningful aryl- and heteroaryl-substituted (E)-β-alkoxyacrylates were thus obtained in high yields and with near-ideal atom economy.