Copper-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Coupling of Arenes with Alcohols.

What a couple! Arenes functionalized with donating groups undergo oxidative dehydrogenative coupling with alcohols in the presence of a copper/silver catalyst system. This intermolecular CH alkoxylation provides a convenient synthetic route to the important class of aryl ethers. The catalyst system also allows the alkoxylation of benzylic CH groups with formation of benzyl alkyl ethers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]