Electrochemically Enabled Carbohydroxylation of Alkenes with H2O and Organotrifluoroborates
Unprecedented hydroxy-alkynylation and -alkenylation reactions of arylalkenes have been developed through electrochemically enabled addition of an organotrifluoroborate reagent and H2O across the double bond of the alkene. The use of electrochemistry to promote these oxidative alkene 1,2-difunctionalization reactions not only obviates the need for transition-metal catalysts and oxidizing reagents but also ensures high regio- and chemoselectivity to afford homopropargylic or homoallylic alcohols. The possibility of extending the electrochemical alkene difunctionalization strategy to other alkene carbo-heterofunctionalization reactions has been demonstrated.
Controlled alcohol-carbonyl interconversion by nickel catalysis
All in one pot: A general synthetic platform allows the interconversion of alcohols and carbonyl compounds in a predictable and controlled fashion in one pot. Under the action of a Ni catalyst, PhCl, CsF, and arylboronates, several multistep alcohol-carbonyl interconversions have been achieved with good overall efficiency (see scheme). A one-pot nickel-catalyzed synthesis of flumecinol (a hepatic microsomal enzyme inducer) has also been demonstrated. Copyright