Iron‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling of Alkenyl Acetates

Stable C O linkages are generally unreactive in cross‐coupling reactions which mostly employ more electrophilic halides or activated esters (triflates, tosylates). Acetates are cheap and easily accessible electrophiles but have not been used in cross‐couplings because the strong C O bond and high propensity to engage in unwanted acetylation and deprotonation. Reported herein is a selective iron‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of diverse alkenyl acetates, and it operates under mild reaction conditions (0 °C, 2 h) with a ligand‐free catalyst (1–2 mol %).