Palladium‐Catalyzed S_N1 Reactions of Secondary Benzylic Alcohols: Etherification, Amination, and Thioetherification

Abstract

Abstract The reaction of various secondary benzylic alcohols in the presence of Pd II catalysts provides ethers in good to high yields. Unsymmetric ethers could also be obtained with good selectivity by coupling two different alcohols. Direct amination is observed with electron‐deficient anilines, and thioethers are prepared conveniently in high yields by the direct action of thiols on sec ‐phenylethyl alcohol. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003)