Effect of InCl3 on the addition of Grignard reagents to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds

Control of 1,2- versus 1,4-addition of organometallic reagents to enones remains a long-standing problem. There is still no satisfactory 1,2-directing agent comparable to the 1,4-directing effect of copper salts. We report that the presence of just 5 mol% indium(III) chloride can significantly alter the amount of 1,2-product formed in these reactions.