Secondary Phosphine Oxides as Multitalented Preligands En Route to the Chemoselective Palladium‐Catalyzed Oxidation of Alcohols

Abstract

Abstract Secondary phosphine oxides O=PHR 2 (SPOs) were identified as multitalented preligands for the chemoselective Pd‐catalyzed oxidation of alcohols by a hydrogen‐abstracting methodology. SPOs were found to promote the hydrogen‐abstraction step as well as hydrogen transfer to a Michael acceptor by generating a putative active H−Pd species. The catalytic system operates under neutral conditions and was proven to be compatible with various electrophilic and nucleophilic functionalities within the substrates as well as water‐ and air‐sensitive functional groups.