Expanding the scope of the indium-promoted allylation reaction: 4-(bromomethyl)-1,3-dioxol-2-one as a synthetic equivalent of a 3-arylhydroxyacetone enolate

Cyclic enol carbonates of type 2, obtained via the indium-promoted allylation of aldehydes with 4-(bromomethyl)-1,3-dioxol-2-one, undergo Heck reaction with aryl iodides in the presence of silver trifluoroacetate, to give the corresponding arylated products. Thus, 4-(bromomethyl)-1,3-dioxol-2-one can be considered as a synthetic equivalent of 3-arylhydroxyacetone enolate.