title: Ruthenium-Sulfonamide-Catalyzed Direct Dehydrative Condensation of Benzylic C-H Bonds with Aromatic Aldehydes.
abstract: The first catalytic dehydrative condensation of the benzylic C-H bonds of toluene and p-xylene with aromatic aldehydes is reported herein. This protocol provides highly atom-economical access to stilbene and p-distyrylbenzene derivatives, whereby water is the sole byproduct. The reaction is based on the deprotonation-functionalization of benzylic C-H bonds through η6-complexation of the arenes, which is realized for the first time using a catalytic amount of a transition metal activator. The key to the success of this method is the use of a sulfonamide anion as a catalyst component, which appears to facilitate not only the deprotonation of the benzylic C-H bonds but also the formation of a C-C bonds via an electrophilic tosylimine intermediate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University , Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takemoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University , Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Eri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University , Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University , Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University , Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Mayuko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University , Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuzaka