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Updated: May 25, 2026

Synthesis of Antiviral Tetrahydrocarbazole Derivatives by Photochemical and Acid-catalyzed C-H Functionalization via Intermediate Peroxides (CHIPS)
Published on: June 20, 2014
Homo- and hetero-oxidative coupling of benzyl anions
Marco Blangetti1, Patricia Fleming, Donal F O'Shea
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
Abstract:
The regioselective benzylic metalation of substituted toluenes using BuLi/KO-t-Bu/TMP(H) (LiNK metalation conditions) with subsequent in situ oxidative C-C coupling has been developed for the facile generation of 1,2-diarylethanes. A range of oxidants can be used for the oxidative coupling step, with 1,2-dibromoethane proving optimal. Heterocouplings can be achieved starting from a mixture of two different toluenes with a bias toward cross coupling achievable by using a 2-fold excess of one toluene starting material. The utility of this approach is illustrated by the synthesis of several biologically active natural products. A distinct advantage is that the synthetic steps typically required to preactivate the coupling substrates are eliminated and no transition metal is required to facilitate the C-C bond formation.
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