Zirconium-Catalyzed Hydroalumination of C═O Bonds: Site-Selective De-O-acetylation of Peracetylated Compounds and Mechanistic Insights.
Thibaut CourantMarine GavelRomain M Q RenardVincent GandonAntoine Y P JoostenThomas LecourtPublished in: The Journal of organic chemistry (2021)
An unprecedented hydroalumination of C ═ O bonds catalyzed by zirconocene dichloride is reported herein and applied to the site-selective deprotection of peracetylated functional substrates. A mixed metal hydride, with 1:1 zirconium/aluminum stoichiometry, is also shown to be the reductive species. A catalytic cycle is finally proposed for this transformation with no precedent in the field of zirconium catalysis.