Formal Aerobic Oxidative Cross-Coupling of Benzofuranones with Azo Compounds Using Pd-µ-hydroxo Complex.

We have developed a catalytic aerobic oxidative dimerization reaction of benzofuranones using a Pd(II)-µ-hydroxo complex. Radical-radical cross-coupling of the resulting dimers with azo compounds enabled the one-pot synthesis of structurally congested benzofuranones having two distinct vicinal all-carbon quaternary centers.