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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Metal-free Synthesis of Ynones from Acyl Chlorides and Potassium Alkynyltrifluoroborate Salts
Published on: February 24, 2015
Oxidative cleavage of benzylic and related ethers, using an oxoammonium salt
Priya P Pradhan1, James M Bobbitt, William F Bailey
1Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-3060, USA.
Abstract:
Benzylic ethers and related ArCH(2)OR substrates are oxidatively cleaved by 4-acetamido-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxoammonium tetrafluoroborate (1) in wet CH(3)CN at room temperature to give the corresponding aromatic aldehyde and alcohol in high yield. Primary or secondary alcohol products are further oxidized by 1 to give carboxylic acids and ketones, respectively. The oxidation likely involves a formal hydride abstraction from the benzylic carbon as evidenced by slow reaction of substrates bearing electron-withdrawing substituents.
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