jo502051d_si_001.pdf (2.93 MB)
α‑Alkylation of Ketones with Primary Alcohols Catalyzed by a Cp*Ir Complex Bearing a Functional Bipyridonate Ligand
journal contribution
posted on 2014-11-07, 00:00 authored by Feng Li, Juan Ma, Nana WangA Cp*Ir complex bearing a functional bipyridonate ligand was found
to be a highly effective and versatile catalyst for the α-alkylation
of ketones with primary alcohols under extremely environmentally benign
and mild conditions (0.1 equiv of Cs2CO3 per
substrate, reflux in tert-amyl alcohol under an air
atmosphere for 6 h). Furthermore, this complex also exhibited a high
level of catalytic activity for the α-methylation of ketones
with methanol. The mechanistic investigation revealed that the carbonyl
group on the ligand is of critical importance for catalytic hydrogen
transfer. Notably, the results of this study revealed the unique potential
of Cp*Ir complexes bearing a functional bipyridonate ligand for the
development of C–C bond-forming reactions with the activation
of primary alcohols as electrophiles.