title: Vanadium-catalyzed pinacol coupling reaction in water.
abstract: A catalytic pinacol coupling using water as a solvent was performed by a catalytic amount of vanadium(III) chloride and metallic Al as a co-reductant. A combination forms a binary catalytic system, being in sharp contrast to the reaction in organic solvent, which requires a chlorosilane as an additive. Various aromatic aldehydes underwent the reductive coupling to give the corresponding 1,2-diols in moderate to good yields.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Xiaoliang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Toshikazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirao