Nickel-Catalyzed α-Alkylation of Arylacetonitriles with Challenging Secondary Alcohols
Ratnakar Saha1, Surajit Panda1, Amareshwar Nanda1
1School of Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), An OCC of Homi Bhabha National Institute, Bhimpur-Padanpur, Via Jatni, District Khurda, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 752050, India.
Abstract:
Nickel(II) complex 1 was utilized as a sustainable catalyst for α-alkylation of arylacetonitriles with challenging secondary alcohols. Arylacetonitriles with a wide range of functional groups were tolerated, and various cyclic and acyclic secondary alcohols were utilized to yield a large number of α-alkylated products. The plausible mechanism involves the base-promoted activation of precatalyst 1 to an active catalyst 2 (dehydrochlorinated product) which activates the O-H and C-H bonds of the secondary alcohol in a dehydrogenative pathway.
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