title: A new ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogen-transfer reaction: transformation of 3-benzyl but-1-ynyl ethers into 1,3-dienes and benzaldehyde.
abstract: We report a ruthenium-catalyzed reaction for various 3-benzyl but-1-ynyl ethers with suitable functionalities. Treatment of these substrates with TpRu(PPh3)(CH3CN)2PF6 (8.0 mol %) catalyst in 1,2-dichloroethane (80 degrees C, 12 h) afforded functionalized 1,3-dienes and benzyl aldehyde in good yields. This process is considered to be a tandem dealkoxylation and transfer hydrogenation. Deuterium-labeling experiments reveal that the migration of different hydrogen atoms proceeds regiospecifically. A plausible mechanism is proposed on the basis of the results of isotope experiment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Kuo-Liang
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ching-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Heh-Lung
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Rai-Shung
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Liu