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Updated: Oct 6, 2025

Retropinacol/Cross-pinacol Coupling Reactions - A Catalytic Access to 1,2-Unsymmetrical Diols
Published on: April 4, 2014
A metal-free strategy for the cross-dehydrogenative coupling of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with 2-methoxyethanol
Vishal Suresh Kudale1, Sheng Zheng1, Sheng-Hua Huang1
1Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Shiquan 1st Rd, Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City, 807, Taiwan. jjwang@kmu.edu.tw.
Abstract:
Here, we report a metal-free approach for the construction of methylene-bridged bis-1,3-dicarbonyl compounds via cross-dehydrogenative coupling of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with 2-methoxyethanol. In addition, we have extended this methodology to synthesize tetra-substituted pyridine derivatives using 1,3-dicarbonyl, 2-methoxyethanol and NH4OAc in one step. The key advantages include accepting a wide range of substrates, utilizing O2 as the sole oxidant, and synthesizing biologically active compounds such as 1,4-dihydropyridine and pyrazole.
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