Potassium-Base-Mediated Autoxidative Diastereoselective Homocoupling of N -Acyl-2-aminoacetophenones.

We herein report a general and highly efficient method for the synthesis of dl -2,3-diamide-1,4-diones via autoxidative dehydrogenative homocoupling of N -acyl-2-aminoacetophenones mediated by t -BuOK. The transformation is mild, operationally simple, and environmentally friendly. Control experiments and stereochemical results suggest that the substrate undergoes autoxidation followed by a diastereoselective S N 2 reactopm.