Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 16, 2025

Facile Preparation of 2Z,4E-Dienamides by the Olefination of Electron-deficient Alkenes with Allyl Acetate
Published on: June 21, 2017
Nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling of unactivated alkyl bromides and aliphatic aldehydes
Cole L Cruz1, John Montgomery1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan 930 North University Avenue Ann Arbor Michigan 48108-1055 USA jmontg@umich.edu.
Abstract:
A mild, convenient coupling of aliphatic aldehydes and unactivated alkyl bromides has been developed. The catalytic system features the use of a common Ni(ii) precatalyst and a readily available bioxazoline ligand and affords silyl-protected secondary alcohols. The reaction is operationally simple, utilizing Mn as a stoichiometric reductant, and tolerates a wide range of functional groups. The use of 1,5-hexadiene as an additive is an important reaction parameter that provides significant benefits in yield optimizations. Initial mechanistic experiments support a mechanism featuring an alpha-silyloxy Ni species that undergoes formal oxidative addition to the alkyl bromide via a reductive cross-coupling pathway.
Related Concept Videos
Alcohols from Carbonyl Compounds: Reduction
Catalytic hydrogenation is similar to the reduction of an alkene or alkyne by adding H2 across the pi bond in the presence of transition metal catalysts like Raney Ni, Pd–C, Pt, or Ru. Aldehydes and ketones can be reduced by this method, often under mild to moderate heat (25–100°C) and...
Preparation of Aldehydes and Ketones from Nitriles and Carboxylic Acids
Reducing carboxylic acid derivatives like acyl chlorides (RCOCl), esters (RCO2R′), and nitriles (RCN) using milder aluminum hydride agents like lithium tri-tert-butoxyaluminum hydride [LiAlH(O-t-Bu)3] and diisobutylaluminum hydride [DIBAL-H]...
Alkenes via Reductive Coupling of Aldehydes or Ketones: McMurry Reaction
Radical Substitution: Allylic Bromination
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
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...

