A simple and efficient copper oxide-catalyzed Barbier-Grignard reaction of unactivated aryl or alkyl bromides with ester

An efficient one-pot route to synthesize tertiary alcohol compounds using Barbier-Grignard reaction of unactivated alkyl or aryl bromides with ester in THF at 65 °C catalyzed by CuO has been developed and systematically investigated. A wide range of substituted tertiary alcohol compounds were obtained in good to high yields. The reaction is highly chemoselective. The mechanism involving the leaving group of R2O-group is discussed.