1 Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
2 Innovative Catalysis Science Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (ICS-OTRI), Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
A palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of diarylmethanol derivatives with diborylmethane has been developed. The reaction proceeds chemoselectively to deliver the corresponding homobenzylic boronates in good yields.