Oxidation of unactivated methyl groups via a cyclopalladation reaction

Abstract

The successive cyclopalladation–oxidation of E-pinacolone, E-2,2-dimethylcyclohexanone, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylcyclohexanone, and E-lupanone oxime led to the corresponding β-acetoxy derivatives; the second palladation in the case of the acetoxy compounds (2) and (8) takes place in one of the remaining methyl groups, being a regiospecific process, and in the case of the cyclic oximes the palladation occurs in the equatorial methyl group.