Ruthenium catalyzed C-C bond formation via transfer hydrogenation: branch-selective reductive coupling of allenes to paraformaldehyde and higher aldehydes.

Under the conditions of ruthenium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation employing 2-propanol as the terminal reductant, 1,1-disubstituted allenes 1a- h engage in reductive coupling to paraformaldehyde to furnish homoallylic alcohols 2a- h. Under identical transfer hydrogenation conditions, 1,1-disubstituted allenes engage in reductive coupling to aldehydes 3a- f to furnish homoallylic alcohols 4a- n. In all cases, reductive coupling occurs with branched regioselectivity to deliver homoallylic alcohols bearing all-carbon quaternary centers.