Ruthenium-catalyzed one-pot β-alkylation of secondary alcohols with primary alcohols

Secondary alcohols (carbinols) react with primary alcohols in dioxane at 80 degreesC in the presence of a catalytic amount of RUCl2(PPh3)(3) and KOH along with a sacrificial hydrogen acceptor to afford the corresponding coupled secondary alcohols. The reaction is applicable to a wide range of aryl methyl, alkyl methyl, and cyclic carbinols, and with alkyl methyl carbinols, the alkylation took place exclusively at the less-hindered methyl position over beta-methylene and -methine.