Direct metal-free homo-/cross-coupling of carbonyls with alcohols or imines under ambient light

Abstract

The development of a metal-free, ‘greener’ C–C coupling process was highly desired in light of future sustainability as well as social and environmental well-being. Herein, we successfully demonstrated the metal-free homo-/cross-coupling of carbonyls with alcohols or imines via solvent-mediated modulation, providing 1,2-diols or β-amino alcohols of either homo- or cross-coupling selectively, making it a promising strategy for the advancement of green chemistry and industrial applications. Mechanistic analysis indicated that the unique reaction selectivity was governed by the reduction potentials of the alcohols, which was further supported by DFT studies.