Iron-Catalyzed α,β-Dehydrogenation of Carbonyl Compounds.

An iron-catalyzed α,β-dehydrogenation of carbonyl compounds was developed. A broad spectrum of carbonyls or analogues, such as aldehyde, ketone, lactone, lactam, amine, and alcohol, could be converted to their α,β-unsaturated counterparts in a simple one-step reaction with high yields.