Oxo-Rhenium-Catalyzed Radical Addition of Benzylic Alcohols to Olefins.

Although carbon radicals generated from a variety of alcohol derivatives have proven valuable in coupling and addition reactions, the direct use of alcohols as synthetically useful radical sources is less known. In this report, benzylic alcohols are shown to be effective radical precursors for addition reactions to alkenes when treated with triphenylphosphine or piperidine with the catalyst ReIO2(PPh3)2 (I).