Aldehydes as Alkylating Agents for Ketones

Common and non-toxic aldehydes are proposed as reagents for alkylation of ketones instead of carcinogenic alkyl halides. The developed reductive alkylation reaction proceeds in the presence of the commercially available ruthenium catalyst [(cymene)RuCl₂ ]₂ (as low as 250 ppm) and carbon monoxide as the reducing agent. The reaction works well for a broad substrate scope, including aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes and ketones. It can be carried out without a solvent and often gives nearly quantitative yields of the products. This straightforward and cost-effective method is promising not only for laboratory application but also for industry, which produces carbon monoxide as a large-scale waste product.