Chemistry Letters, Vol.40, No.5, 492-494, 2011
Iron-catalyzed Pinacol Coupling of Aryl Ketones with a Phenyltitanium Reagent: A New Type of Catalytic Reaction
A reaction of aryl ketones with phenyltitanium triisopropoxide ([PhTi(Oi-Pr)(3)]) in the presence of [Fe(acac)(3)] as a catalyst (1 mol %) gave the corresponding pinacols in high yields. The catalytic cycle of this process involves an iron-catalyzed disproportionation of [PhTi(Oi-Pr)(3)] into biphenyl and a low-valent titanium species.