Transition metal-free synthesis of α-aryl ketones via oxyallyl cation capture with arylboronic acids

Herein, we describe a novel transition metal-free, umpolung strategy for the alpha-arylation of ketones by capturing transient oxyallyl cations with arylboronic acids. A variety of alpha-arylated ketones were obtained in moderate to good yields with broad substrate tolerance under simple reaction conditions. This process provides a complementary strategy compared with traditional transition metal-catalyzed methods.