Iridium-Catalyzed α-Methylation of α-Aryl Esters Using Methanol as the C1 Source.

IrCl(cod)2]/dppe-catalyzed α-methylation of aryl esters using methanol as the C1 source was developed. This methylation process is useful in several fields including organic chemistry, biochemistry, and medicinal chemistry. Readily available methanol as methylation reagent was successfully adapted. The reaction processed high atom economy and efficient. By applying the reaction system, the synthesis method of naproxen was provided.