Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Electrophile Coupling between Benzyl Alcohols and Aryl Halides Assisted by Titanium Co-reductant.

A nickel-catalyzed cross-electrophile coupling reaction between benzyl alcohols and aryl halides has been developed using a homolytic C-O bond cleavage protocol that has recently been established. The treatment of a benzyl alcohol and aryl halide with a nickel catalyst and low-valent titanium reagent generated from TiCl4(lutidine) (lutidine = 2,6-lutidine) and manganese powder afforded the cross-coupled product in high yield. A mechanistic study indicated the intermediacy of the benzyl radicals that originate from the benzyl alcohols.