CERIUM(III) CHLORIDE AS CATALYTIC AND STOICHIOMETRIC PROMOTER OF THE QUANTITATIVE ADDITION OF ORGANOMETALLIC REAGENTS TO (+)-CAMPHOR AND (-)-FENCHONE

Quantitative addition of organolithium and Grignard reagents to camphor (1) and fenchone (2) proceeds via precomplexation of the ketone with CeCl3 at room temperature. Excellent addition using catalytic or substoichiometric amounts of CeCl3 is demonstrated for the first time.