Decarboxylative benzylations of alkynes and ketones.

Benzyl esters of propiolic and beta-keto acids undergo catalytic decarboxylative coupling when treated with appropriate palladium catalysts. Such decarboxylative couplings allow the benzylation of alkynes without the use of strong bases and/or organometallics. This allows the synthesis of sensitive benzylic alkynes that are prone to undergo isomerizations under basic conditions.