Palladium-Catalyzed Decarboxylation of Allenyl 3-Oxoalkanoates: An Efficient Synthesis of 3,4-Allenyl Ketones

An efficient synthesis of 3,4-allenyl ketones via the Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling of the readily available 3-oxoalkanoates is reported. The C–C bond forming reaction occurs under mild conditions producing CO₂ as the only byproduct.