Bifunctional RuII-Complex-Catalysed Tandem C−C Bond Formation: Efficient and Atom Economical Strategy for the Utilisation of Alcohols as Alkylating Agents.

Catalytic activities of a series of functional bipyridine-based RuII complexes in β-alkylation of secondary alcohols using primary alcohols were investigated. Bifunctional RuII complex ( 3 a) bearing 6,6'-dihydroxy-2,2'-bipyridine (6DHBP) ligand exhibited the highest catalytic activity for this reaction. Using significantly lower catalyst loading (0.1 mol %) dehydrogenative carbon−carbon bond formation between numerous aromatic, aliphatic and heteroatom substituted alcohols were achieved with high selectivity. Notably, for the synthesis of β-alkylated secondary alcohols this protocol is a rare one-pot strategy using a metal-ligand cooperative RuII system. Remarkably, complex 3 a demonstrated the highest reactivity compared to all the reported transition metal complexes in this reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]