title: C-C coupling of ketones with methanol catalyzed by a N-heterocyclic carbene-phosphine iridium complex.
abstract: An N-heterocyclic carbene-phosphine iridium complex system was found to be a very efficient catalyst for the methylation of ketone via a hydrogen transfer reaction. Mild conditions together with low catalyst loading (1 mol %) were used for a tandem process which involves the dehydrogenation of methanol, C=C bond formation with a ketone, and hydrogenation of the new generated double bond by iridium hydride to give the alkylated product. Using this iridium catalyst system, a number of branched ketones were synthesized with good to excellent conversions and yields.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Stockholm University, The Arrhenius laboratory, 10691 Stockholm (Sweden).
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: Sutthichat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kerdphon
authors.forename: Pher G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Andersson
keywords: CC coupling reactions; hydrogen transfer; iridium; ketones; methylation