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Updated: Sep 26, 2026

Metal-free Synthesis of Ynones from Acyl Chlorides and Potassium Alkynyltrifluoroborate Salts
Published on: February 24, 2015
Copper(II)-catalyzed ether synthesis from aliphatic alcohols and potassium organotrifluoroborate salts
1Davenport Research Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
Abstract:
[reaction: see text] A protocol for the copper(II)-catalyzed etherification of aliphatic alcohols under mild and essentially neutral conditions is described. Air- and moisture-stable potassium alkenyl- and aryltrifluoroborate salts undergo cross-coupling with a variety of aliphatic primary and secondary alcohols and phenols, and are tolerant of a range of functional groups. The optimized conditions utilize catalytic copper(II) acetate with 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine as ligand in the presence of 4 A molecular sieves under an atmosphere of oxygen.
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