Highly efficient aerobic ruthenium-catalyzed oxidative cross-dehydrogenative coupling for sp3-sp3 carbon-carbon bond formation

A highly efficient sp(3-)sp(3) carbon-carbon bond formation system was developed for the aerobic ruthenium-catalyzed oxidative cross-dehydrogenative coupling reaction between tertiary amines and sp(3) C-H compounds in the presence of RuCl3/O-2, thus giving the corresponding alpha-functionalized amines. Compared with the reported method, H2O2 or (BuOOH)-Bu-t was replaced successfully by economical and facile oxygen as the oxidant. Three types of activated C-H bonds for pronucleophiles were evaluated in this system. All these features combined are in accordance with important prospective green chemistry aspects. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.