HFIP mediated oxime ether synthesis: a metal, base and additive free approach

Oxime ethers are extensively present as key components in numerous active pharmaceutical ingredients and many other synthetically viable organic compounds. Herein, we present a metal, base and additive free mild C-O bond formation strategy for the synthesis of oxime ethers from various oxime derivatives and tertiary and secondary aryl alcohols. The reaction is carried out in the presence of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) as the green solvent at 30 °C. The reaction tolerates both aldoximes and ketoximes including ketoximes bearing heteroatoms, furnishing high yields (up to 99%). The formation of a triphenylmethyl carbocation as an intermediate is supported via UV-Vis spectroscopy. Successful gram-scale synthesis of the oxime ether, low energy input and simple reaction conditions further highlight the potential of this reaction to effectively transition from the laboratory scale to industrial production. A broad substrate scope compatibility was also observed.