Secondary benzylation using benzyl alcohols catalyzed by lanthanoid, scandium, and hafnium triflate

The combination of a secondary benzyl alcohol and a metal triflate (e.g., La, Yb, Sc, and Hf triflate) in nitromethane was a highly effective secondary-benzylation system. Secondary benzylation of carbon (aromatic compounds, olefins, an enol acetate), nitrogen (amide derivatives), and oxygen (alcohols) nucleophiles was carried out with a secondary benzyl alcohol and 0.01-1 mol % of a metal triflate in the presence of water. Secondary benzyl alcohols and nucleophiles bearing acid-sensitive functional groups (e.g., tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy and acetoxy groups and methyl and benzyl esters) could be used for alkylation. Hf(OTf)4 was the most active catalyst for this alkylation, and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (triflic acid, TfOH) was also a good catalyst. The catalytic activity of metal triflates and TfOH increased in the order La(OTf)3 < Yb(OTf)3 < TfOH < Sc(OTf)3 < Hf(OTf)4. A mechanistic study was also performed. The reaction of 1-phenylethanol (4a) in the presence of Sc(OTf)3 in nitromethane gave an equilibrium mixture of 4a and bis(1-phenylethyl) ether (54). Addition of a carbon nucleophile to the equilibrium mixture gave alkylated product in high yield.