Table 3. Substrate scope of the carbonylation of aryl methyl ethers.

Reaction condition: substrate (3 mmol), catalyst (1.5 mol%), and additives (0.66 eq LiI + 0.1 eq LiBF₄) in MeCN (1.5 ml); CO pressure, 2 MPa; 130°C. The reaction time for 1b, 1c, 1d, and 1j was 12 hours, and the reaction time for others was 18 hours.

*The yields of 2d, 2h, 2k, and 2o were determined by a gas chromatograph (GC), and others were determined by ¹H NMR analysis with trioxane as the internal standard.