Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Assessment of Social Interaction Behaviors
Published on: February 25, 2011
Direct Sp3α-C-H activation and functionalization of alcohol and ether
Shu-Yu Zhang1, Fu-Min Zhang, Yong-Qiang Tu
1State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry and Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, PR China.
Abstract:
Seven kinds of sp(3)α-C-H activation/C-C formation reactions of alcohols and ethers have been reviewed in this tutorial review, from the viewpoint of both methodology and synthetic application, towards the efficiency, chemo-, regio- and stereoselectivity, catalytic system, substrate scope and mechanistic study. Section 2 describes radical-mediated α-C-H activation and addition/elimination of ethers with unsaturated (C=C and C[triple bond]C) species. Sections 3-8 discuss the α-C-H activation and additions of alcohols and/or ethers with unsaturated (C=C, C[triple bond]C, C=O and C=N) compounds, which involve the key processes of radical mediation, carbenoid insertion, 1,5-H-migration, oxidative dehydrogenation coupling, transfer hydrogenative coupling, and metal-mediated C=C insertion into the C-H bond.
Related Concept Videos
Preparation of Alcohols via Substitution Reactions
Alcohols can be synthesized from alkyl halides via nucleophilic substitution reactions. The highly polar carbon-halogen bond in the substrate makes halide a good leaving group. The hydroxide ion or water can act as a nucleophile to take the place of halide and form an alcohol. The substitution reactions occur via two different reaction pathways, SN1 or SN2, depending on the nature of carbon attached to the halide.
Primary alcohols are synthesized from primary alkyl halides, and the...
Ethers from Alcohols: Alcohol Dehydration and Williamson Ether Synthesis
Ethers can be prepared from organic compounds by various methods. Some of them are discussed below,
Preparation of Ethers by Alcohol Dehydration
In this method, in the presence of protic acids, alcohol dehydrates to produce alkenes and ethers under different conditions. For example, in the presence of sulphuric acid, dehydration of ethanol at 413 K yields ethoxyethane, whereas it yields ethene at 443 K.
Acid-Catalyzed Dehydration of Alcohols to Alkenes
Preparation of Alcohols via Addition Reactions
The acid-catalyzed addition of water to the double bond of alkenes is a large-scale industrial method used to synthesize low-molecular-weight alcohols. An acidic atmosphere is required to allow the hydrogen in the water molecule to act as an electrophile and attack the double bond in an alkene. The addition of a proton to the double bond creates a carbocation intermediate. The proton preferentially bonds to the less substituted end of the double bond to create a more stable carbocation...
Conversion of Alcohols to Alkyl Halides
Regioselectivity and Stereochemistry of Acid-Catalyzed Hydration

