Catalyst-Free Dehydrative α-Alkylation of Ketones with Alcohols: Green and Selective Autocatalyzed Synthesis of Alcohols and Ketones

Direct dehydrative -alkylation reactions of ketones with alcohols are now realized under simple, practical, and green conditions without using external catalysts. These catalyst-free autocatalyzed alkylation methods can efficiently afford useful alkylated ketone or alcohol products in a one-pot manner and on a large scale by CC bond formation of the in situ generated intermediates with subsequent controllable and selective Meerwein-Pondorf-Verley-Oppenauer-type redox processes.