CeCl3‐Mediated Addition of Grignard Reagents to 1,3‐Diketones

β-Hydroxyketones 2 form in good yields by CeCl3-mediated addition of Grignard compounds to 1,3-diketones (1). In this chemoselective reaction, a complex from 1 and CeCl3 is presumably formed initially, which is then attacked at the sterically less hindered CO group by the R″MgX. (R″ = Me, Ph, nPr, H2CCH, H2CCHCH2).