Iodine as an efficient initiator for the transfer-hydrogenation from 1,4-cyclohexadiene to aryl-substituted alkenes and the deoxygenation of benzylic alcohols

Abstract

The transfer-hydrogenation emerged as an interesting alternative to traditional hydrogenations with H₂ under transition metal catalysis. Herein, we describe I₂ as an initiator for the catalysis in CH₂Cl₂ for the transfer-hydrogenation from 1,4-cyclohexadiene to aryl-substituted alkenes as well as for the deoxygenation of benzylic alcohols at room temperature.