ChemInform Abstract: A Simple and Efficient Route to 1,4-Diketones from Squaric Acid.

Abstract Squaric acid derivatives react with organolithium compounds at room temperature to afford with excellent yields after hydrolysis, symmetrical and unsymmetrically substituted oxygenated 1,4 diketones bearing alkyl, aryl or heteroaryl groups at the carbonyl positions. In the case of aromatic or heteroaromatic ketones the enol tautomers are also obtained.