Palladium(II)-catalyzed oxidation of aldehydes and ketones. 1. Carbonylation of ketones with carbon monoxide catalyzed by palladium(II) chloride in methanol.

Unsubstituted or alkyl-substituted cyclic ketones react with PdCl2 in methanol under a CO atmosphere to give mainly acyclic diesters along with some acyclic chloro-substituted monoesters. The monosubstituted cyclic ketones, 2-hydroxy- and 2-methoxycyclohexanone, do not give ring cleavage but rather produce 2-(carbomethoxy)cyclohex-2-en-1-one. 13CO labeling experiments indicate one CO is inserted in forming the diester product so the second ester group must arise from the original ketone group. Two mechanisms are possible for the diester reaction. One involves initial Pd(II)-CO2CH3 insertion across the double bond of the enol form of the ketone while the second involves initial addition of Pd(II)-OCH3 followed by CO insertion into the new Pd(II)-carbon bond formed. Pd(II) elimination and acid-catalyzed ring cleavage produce the second methyl ester group in both routes. The chloro-substituted monoester is formed by initial Pd(II)-Cl insertion across the double bond followed by the acid-catalyzed ring cleavage. The 2-(carbomethoxy)cyclohex-2-en-1-one must result from elimination of water or methanol from the alpha-ketoester product formed by the initial methoxycarbonylation of the enol form of the ketone. As expected, the acyclic ketone, 2-decanone, formed methyl acetate and a mixture of methyl nonanoate and 1-chlorooctane as products.