Improved yields with added copper(I) salts in carbonylative stille couplings of sterically hindered vinylstannanes.

Stille coupling under standard carbonylative conditions proceeds in poor yield when using hindered alkenylstannane and enol triflate partners. The inclusion of 35 mol % CuI or CuBr significantly improves the efficiency of the coupling, providing a variety of complex 1,4-dien-3-ones in good to excellent yield.