Catalytic Oxidative Coupling of Phenols and Related Compounds

Phenols and their derivatives are the elementarybuilding blocks for several classes of complex molecules that playessential roles in biological systems. Nature has devised methods toselectively couple phenolic compounds, and many efforts have beenundertaken by chemists to mimic such coupling processes. A rangeof mechanisms can be involved, and with well-studied catalysts,reaction outcomes in phenol-phenol oxidative coupling reactionscan be predicted with a good level offidelity. However, reactionswith catalysts that have not been studied or that do not behavesimilarly to known catalysts can be hard to predict and control.This Perspective provides an overview of catalytic methods for theoxidative coupling of phenols, focusing on the last 10 years, andsummarizes current challenges

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This Perspective provides an overview of catalytic methods for the oxidative coupling of phenols, focusing on the last 10 years, and summarizes current challenges.