Facile preparation of allenic hydroxyketones via rearrangement of propargylic alcohols

formula: see text] Treatment of tertiary propargylic alcohols 13 with 3-diazo-2-butanone 6 and catalytic dirhodium tetraacetate in benzene gave good yields of the diastereomeric allenic hydroxyketones 14, with, in some cases, good diastereocontrol. These products are presumably formed via the 2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of an alpha-propargyloxy enol derivative. This reaction has been extended to the preparation of homoallylic hydroxyketones from allylic alcohols by reaction with 6 and the rhodium catalyst.