71311-97-2Relevant academic research and scientific papers
SmI2/H2O/amine promoted reductive cleavage of benzyl-heteroatom bonds: optimization and mechanism
Ankner, Tobias,Hilmersson, G?ran
, p. 10856 - 10862 (2009)
The SmI2/H2O/pyrrolidine mediated cleavage of benzylic alcohols and benzyl groups was studied and found to be a viable alternative to the Birch reduction yielding the corresponding deoxygenated product in excellent yield. The reaction has been investigated by kinetic methods, and a mechanism involving a pre-complexation of the alcohol to SmI2 followed by an amine mediated electron transfer and subsequent bond cleavage and transfer of a second electron and proton to yield the toluene product has been proposed. The reaction is strongly inhibited at higher concentrations of water, indicating that it proceeds via an inner-sphere electron transfer from samarium(II) to the benzyl group, and excess of water prevents coordination of benzyl alcohol to samarium.
