Copper-Catalyzed Three-Component Germyl Peroxidation of Alkenes

Org Lett. 2022 Apr 1;24(12):2425-2430. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.2c00698. Epub 2022 Mar 18.

Abstract

The concurrent incorporation of a germyl fragment and another functional group (beyond the hydrogen atom) across the C═C double bond is a highly appealing yet challenging task. Herein we demonstrate the efficient germyl peroxidation of alkenes with germanium hydrides and tert-butyl hydroperoxide via a copper-catalyzed three-component radical relay strategy. This protocol exhibits excellent functional group tolerance and exquisite chemo- and regioselectivity under mild conditions and represents a rare example of constructing synthetically challenging metal-embedded organic peroxides.