54313-73-4

Upstream product

• 104-53-0 3-phenyl-propionaldehyde 
• 21970-13-8 (pyridin-2-yl)magnesium bromide 
• 1122-62-9 2-acetylpyridine 
• 100-51-6 benzyl alcohol 
• 20988-55-0 1-(pyridine-2-yl)ethanol 

Downstream Products

• 1609693-02-8 methyl 4-benzyl-5-oxo-5-(2-pyridyl)pentanoate 
• 1609693-09-5 [1-benzyl-3-formylcyclohex-3-en-1-yl](2-pyridyl)ketone 

Relevant academic research and scientific papers

Pincer-Nickel Catalyzed Selective Guerbet-Type Reactions

We report here the synthesis and characterization of a series of NNN pincer-nickel complexes of the type (R2NNN)NiCl2(CH3CN) (R = iPr, tBu, Cy, Ph, and p-F-C6H4) based on bis(imino)pyridine ligands. In solution, these complexes are found to be equilibrium mixtures containing one and two pincer ligands, respectively. While the crystal structure of the former was reported by us recently for R = iPr, we report the crystal structure of the latter in this study for R = p-F-C6H4. The considered NNN pincer-Ni complexes have been successfully employed to accomplish the catalytic β-alkylation of several secondary alcohols with a variety of benzyl alcohols at 140 °C with high yields and unprecedented turnovers. A maximum of 92% yield of the β-alkylated product at 18 ?400 TON was obtained in the reaction of benzyl alcohol with 1-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)ethane-1-ol in the presence of 0.005 mol % of (Ph2NNN)NiCl2(CH3CN) and 5 mol % of NaOtBu at 140 °C after 24 h. The reaction exhibits zero-order dependence of rate on catalyst concentration and first-order dependence on the concentration of base, benzyl alcohol, and 1-phenyl ethanol which points to the base-mediated aldol condensation as the rate-determining step. Most of the intermediates involved in catalysis have been identified by HRMS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on a pincer-Ni catalyzed β-alkylation of alcohols and, hitherto, such unprecedented turnovers have not been reported with a homogeneous molecular nickel-based catalyst.

Room-Temperature Guerbet Reaction with Unprecedented Catalytic Efficiency and Enantioselectivity

We report herein an unprecedented highly efficient Guerbet-type reaction at room temperature (catalytic TON up to >6000). This β-alkylation of secondary methyl carbinols with primary alcohols has significant advantage of delivering higher-order secondary alcohols in an economical, redox-neutral fashion. In addition, the first enantioselective Guerbet reaction has also been achieved using a commercially available chiral ruthenium complex to deliver secondary alcohols with moderate yield and up to 92 % ee. In both reactions, the use of a traceless ketone promoter proved to be beneficial for the catalytic efficiency.

Manganese-Catalyzed β-Alkylation of Secondary Alcohols with Primary Alcohols under Phosphine-Free Conditions

Manganese(I) complexes bearing a pyridyl-supported pyrazolyl-imidazolyl ligand efficiently catalyzed the direct β-alkylation of secondary alcohols with primary alcohols under phosphine-free conditions. The β-alkylated secondary alcohols were obtained in moderate to good yields with water formed as the byproduct through a borrowing hydrogen pathway. β-Alkylation of cholesterols was also effectively achieved. The present protocol provides a concise atom-economical method for C-C bond formation from primary and secondary alcohols.

Ruthenium(III)-Catalyzed β-Alkylation of Secondary Alcohols with Primary Alcohols

A Ru(III)-NNN complex bearing a pyridyl-supported pyrazolyl-imidazolyl ligand was synthesized and utilized as the catalyst for the direct β-alkylation of secondary alcohols with primary alcohols. β-Alkylated secondary alcohols were obtained in moderate to high yields with water formed as the byproduct through a hydrogen borrowing pathway. The present protocol provides a concise atom-economical and environmentally benign method for C-C bond formation.

Lithium tert-butoxide mediated α-alkylation of ketones with primary alcohols under transition-metal-free conditions

LiOtBu was found to efficiently promote the α-alkylation reaction of ketones with primary alcohols, without the addition of any transition metal catalyst.