Allylic alcohols in borrowing hydrogen catalysis: from simple substrates to complex molecules

Abstract

Borrowing hydrogen reactions are among the greenest approaches for creating complex molecules from simple materials. The most established borrowing hydrogen transformations are the alkylation of amines and ketones using alcohols as alkylating agents. Beyond this classical reactivity, new categories of borrowing hydrogen processes have emerged, notably those involving allylic alcohols, which have opened a distinct and rapidly growing research direction within the field. Since the first pioneering studies over a decade ago, allylic alcohol-based borrowing hydrogen reactions have garnered significant attention, particularly in recent years, leading to the development of numerous methodologies that enable rapid access to structurally diverse and valuable molecular architectures.