Cobalt-catalysed [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement of ethers to secondary alcohols.

Stable ethers are successfully transformed into secondary alcohols C-O bond activation using a simple cobalt pincer catalyst. Mechanistic studies indicate the involvement of radical pairs, and their sequential recombination and the subsequent hydrolysis results in the formation of secondary alcohols.

Base-Catalyzed Traceless Silylation and Deoxygenative Cyclization of Chalcones to Cyclopropanes.

Development of simple synthetic methods from readily available compounds to complex products is of utmost interest in modern synthesis. Catalytic synthesis of cyclopropanes is important for diverse chemical applications. We present a method for the transformation of readily accessible α,β-unsaturated ketones (chalcones) to cyclopropanes.

Manganese(I) Catalyzed Alkenylation of Phosphine Oxides Using Alcohols with Liberation of Hydrogen and Water.

Herein, a catalytic cross-coupling of methyldiphenylphosphine oxide with arylmethyl alcohols leading to the alkenylphosphine oxides is reported. A manganese pincer catalyst catalyzes the reactions, which provides exclusive formation of -alkenylphosphine oxides. Mechanistic studies indicate that reactions proceed via aldehyde intermediacy and the catalyst promotes the C═C bond formation.

Cobalt-catalysed selective synthesis of aldehydes and alcohols from esters.

Efficient and selective reduction of esters to aldehydes and alcohols is reported in which a simple cobalt pincer catalyst catalyses both transformations using diethylsilane as a reductant. Remarkably, the reaction selectivity is controlled by the stoichiometry of diethylsilane.

Cobalt-Catalyzed Acceptorless Dehydrogenation of Alcohols to Carboxylate Salts and Hydrogen.

The facile oxidation of alcohols to carboxylate salts and H is achieved using a simple and readily accessible cobalt pincer catalyst (NNNCoBr). The reaction follows an acceptorless dehydrogenation pathway and displays good functional group tolerance. The amine-amide metal-ligand cooperation in cobalt catalyst is suggested to facilitate this transformation.