title: Copper-catalyzed C-alkylation of secondary alcohols and methyl ketones with alcohols employing the aerobic relay race methodology.
abstract: By employing aerobic oxidation to aldehydes as a more effective alcohol activation strategy, ligand-free copper catalysts were found to be superior catalysts than other metals in aerobic dehydrative β-alkylation of secondary alcohols and α-alkylation of methyl ketones using alcohols as the green alkylating reagents. Based on our mechanistic studies and also supported by the literature, we deduce that the newly-proposed relay race process rather than the conventional borrowing hydrogen-type mechanisms should be the most possible and a more rational mechanism for the aerobic C-alkylation reactions.
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, China.
authors.forename: Shiheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Kangkang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Haiwen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Zhengping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaochun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu