Method for directed catalytic functionalization of alcohols

1. A method for the ortho-arylation of a benzylic alcohol, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a quinolinyl hemiacetal benzoate scaffold having the formula II;

(b) reacting a benzylic alcohol of formula I

with the quinolinyl hemiacetal benzoate scaffold of formula II in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid to provide a compound of formula III:

(c) reacting the compound of formula III with an arylboronic pinacol ester having the formula IVa:

in the presence of a palladium acetate, rhodium acetate, or ruthenium acetate catalyst; an N-acetylated amino acid metal catalyst ligand selected from the group consisting of Ac-Glycine-OH, Ac-Valine-OH, Ac-Alanine-OH, Ac-Leucine-OH, Ac-Isoleucine-OH, and Ac-tert-butylleucine-OH; a silver salt; and a base selected from the group consisting of: Na 2 CO 3 , KHCO 3 , K 2 CO 3 , K 3 PO 4 , and Cs 2 CO 3 to provide a compound of formula Va:

(d) reacting the compound formula Va of step (c) with an acid and an alcohol, said alcohol having the formula R 13 OH to provide an ortho-arylated benzylic alcohol of formula VIa

and a quinolinyl hemiacetal alkoxy scaffold having the formula VII;

wherein

R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen, an alkyl, an aryl, R 1 and R 2 forming an aryl ring, and R 2 and R 3 forming an aryl ring;

R 11 and R 12 are independently hydrogen or an alkyl; and

R 13 is an alkyl or substituted alkyl;

Ar is an unsubstituted or substituted aryl; and

n is 1 or 2.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, when R 1 and R 2 of the benzylic alcohol having the formula I are both hydrogen, the compound having formula VIa is diarylated and R 1 of the compound VIa is an aryl.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising repeating steps (b)-(d), wherein the quinolinyl hemiacetal alkoxy scaffold VII released in step (d) reacts with the benzylic alcohol I in step (b) to further generate compound III.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of isolating the ortho-arylated benzylic alcohol of formula VIa.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is palladium acetate (Pd(OAc) 2 ).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the N-acetylated amino acid metal catalyst ligand is Ac-Isoleucine-OH.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silver salt is silver carbonate Ag 2 CO 3 .

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base is K 2 CO 3 .

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Ar is an aryl group having at least one substituent group, wherein each at least one substituent group is independently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl, an alkoxy, an halogenated alkyl, and an alkoxycarbonyl.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the aryl group has at least one substituent group, wherein each substituent is an alkyl.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the aryl group has at least one substituent group, wherein each substituent is a methyl.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) is in the presence of palladium acetate (Pd(OAc) 2 ), Ac-Isoleucine-OH, silver carbonate (Ag 2 CO 3 ), and K 2 CO 3 .