Photocatalytic Cross-Pinacol Coupling

Abstract

Cross-pinacol coupling of two different carbonyl compounds was achieved through successive one-electron transfer processes under photocatalytic conditions. In this process, an umpoled anionic carbinol synthon was generated in situ to react nucleophilically with a second electrophilic carbonyl compound. A wide variety of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes and ketones were tolerated to afford the corresponding unsymmetric vicinal 1,2-diols.