Catalytic Friedel–Crafts Reactions of Unactivated Secondary Alcohols: Site-Selective ortho-Alkylation of Phenols

25 July 2023, Version 1
This content is a preprint and has not undergone peer review at the time of posting.

Abstract

A combination of catalytic ZnCl2 and catalytic CSA enables the first site-selective Friedel–Crafts alkylation of phenolic derivatives with unactivated secondary alcohols. This catalysis favors ortho-selectivity even in the absence of steric influence. Through kinetics and density functional theory, we propose a mechanism where zinc and CSA function to scaffold both the phenolic and alcohol precursors, predisposing them for ortho-alkylation.

Keywords

Friedel-Crafts
zinc
zinc catalysis
secondary alcohols
site-selectivity
alkylation

Supplementary materials

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Supplementary Information
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Procedures for synthesis, catalysis, and mechanistic experiments; characterization data for new compounds, including 1H NMR spectroscopy, 13C NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry data.
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