Borrowing Hydrogen β-Phosphinomethylation of Alcohols Using Methanol as C1 Source by Pincer Manganese Complex

J Am Chem Soc. 2023 Nov 29;145(47):25545-25552. doi: 10.1021/jacs.3c10484. Epub 2023 Nov 14.

Abstract

Herein, we report a manganese-catalyzed three-component coupling of β-H containing alcohols, methanol, and phosphines for the synthesis of γ-hydroxy phosphines via a borrowing hydrogen strategy. In this development, methanol serves as a sustainable C1 source. A variety of aromatic and aliphatic substituted alcohols and phosphines could undergo the dehydrogenative cross-coupling process efficiently and deliver the corresponding β-phosphinomethylated alcohol products in moderate to good yields. Mechanistic studies suggest that this transformation proceeds in a sequential manner including catalytic dehydrogenation, aldol condensation, Michael addition, and catalytic hydrogenation.