The first selective one-pot synthesis of 1,3-dicarbonyl adamantanes from adamantane and 1,3-dimethyladamantane

A new effective strategy for the first direct synthesis of 1,3-dicarbonyl adamantanes from adamantanes is described. A new approach to a simple one-pot functionalization of adamantane and 1,3-dimethyladamantane with CO and various nucleophiles in the presence of the superelectrophilic complex, CBr4·2AlBr3 provides access to important 1,3-dicarbonyl adamantanes with two new functional groups at the bridge-head positions.