Iridium-Catalyzed Alkylation of Secondary Alcohols with Primary Alcohols: A Route to Access Branched Ketones and Alcohols.

Under borrowing hydrogen conditions, NHC-iridium(I) catalyzed the direct or one-pot sequential synthesis of α,α-disubstituted ketones via the alkylation of secondary alcohols with primary alcohols is reported. Notably, the present approach provides a new method for the facile synthesis of α,α-disubstituted ketones and featured with several characteristics, including a broad substrate scope, using easy-to-handle alcohols as starting materials, and performing the reactions under aerobic conditions. Moreover, the selective one-pot formation of β,β-disubstituted alcohols was achieved by the addition of an external hydrogen source to the reaction mixture.