Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Efficient Synthesis of All-Carbon Quaternary Centers via the Conjugate Addition of Functionalized Monoorganozinc Bromides
Published on: May 26, 2019
1,6-Conjugate addition of zinc alkyls to para-quinone methides in a continuous-flow microreactor
Abhijeet S Jadhav1, Ramasamy Vijaya Anand1
1Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, Sector 81, Knowledge City, S. A. S. Nagar, Manauli (PO), Punjab 140306, India. rvijayan@iisermohali.ac.in.
Abstract:
An efficient method for the synthesis of alkyl diarylmethanes through the 1,6-conjugate addition of dialkylzinc reagents to para-quinone methides (p-QMs) has been developed under continuous flow conditions using a microreactor. This protocol allows to access unsymmetrical alkyl diarylmethanes in moderate to excellent yields using a wide range of p-QMs and dialkylzinc reagents. Interestingly, this transformation worked well without the requirement of a catalyst.
Related Concept Videos
Electrophilic Addition to Alkynes: Hydrohalogenation
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Electrophilic 1,2- and 1,4-Addition of X2 to 1,3-Butadiene
Alkenes via Reductive Coupling of Aldehydes or Ketones: McMurry Reaction
Oxymercuration-Reduction of Alkenes
Radical Anti-Markovnikov Addition to Alkenes: Mechanism
The mechanism starts with chain initiation, which involves two steps. In the first chain initiation step, a weak peroxide bond is homolytically cleaved upon mild heating to form two alkoxy radicals. In the second initiation step, a hydrogen atom is abstracted by the alkoxy...

