Copper-Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative Coupling of Aromatic Alcohols and Acetonitrile to β-Ketonitriles

Abstract

A practical, convenient, and cheap copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative coupling of aromatic alcohols and acetonitrile to β-ketonitriles has been developed. The green C-C bond formation involving the loss of two hydrogen atoms from the corresponding two carbons, respectively, unlocks opportunities for markedly different synthetic strategies.