Guodong Zhang
Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany
Title: Regioselective C–H Alkylation via Carboxylate-Directed Hydroarylation in Water
Biography
Biography: Guodong Zhang
Abstract
In the presence of catalytic [Ru(p-cym)Cl2]2 and using Li3PO4 as the base, benzoic acids react with olefins in water to afford the corresponding 2-alkylbenzoic acids in moderate to excellent yields. This C–H alkylation process is generally applicable to diversely substituted electron-rich and electron-deficient benzoic acids, along with a,b-unsaturated olefins including unprotected acrylic acid. The widely available carboxylate directing group can be removed tracelessly or utilized for further derivatization. Mechanistic investigations revealed that the transformation proceeds via a ruthenacycle intermediate.
