Orthogonal C-O Bond Construction with Organogermanes.

We report a fully orthogonal C-O bond formation strategy, which involves the selective coupling of arylgermanes with alkyl alcohols (primary, secondary and tertiary) as well as carboxylic acids, tolerating otherwise widely employed coupling handles, such as aromatic (pseudo)halogens (C-I, C-Br, C-Cl, C-F, C-OTf, C-OFs), silanes and boronic acid derivatives. This unprecedented [Ge]-based C-O bond construction is rapid (15 min to few hours reaction time), air-tolerant, operationally simple and mild, as it is base-free and proceeds at room temperature.