Multimetallic Ir-Sn3-catalyzed substitution reaction of π-activated alcohols with carbon and heteroatom nucleophiles

An atom economic and catalytic substitution reaction of π-activated alcohols by a multimetallic Ir-Sn3 complex has been demonstrated. The multimetallic Ir-Sn3 complex can be easily synthesized from the reaction between [Cp∗IrCl2]2 and SnCl2. In presence of as little as 1 mol % of the catalyst three different types of π-activated alcohols, namely benzyl, allyl, and propargyl alcohols, have been successfully transformed into alkylated products using carbon (arenes, heteroarenes, allyltrimethylsilane, and 1,3-dicarbonyls), nitrogen (sulfonamides), oxygen (alcohols), and sulfur (thiols) nucleophiles in very high yields. An electrophilic mechanism is proposed from the Hammett correlation study.