Iron-Catalyzed Friedel-Crafts Benzylation with Benzyl TMS Ethers at Room Temperature

Friedel-Crafts benzylations between unactivated arenes and benzyl alcohol derivatives are clean and straightforward processes to construct biologically useful di-and triarylmethanes. We have established an efficient iron-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts benzylation method at room temperature that uses benzyl TMS ethers as substrates, which are poorly reactive under common nucleophilic substitution conditions. The reaction seems to progress through iron-cat-alyzed self-condensation of the benzyl TMS ether to the corresponding dibenzylic ether. The use of excess arene relative to benzyl TMS ether produced mono-benzylated arene (diand tri-arylmethane products), whereas the use of excess benzyl TMS ether versus arene provided bis-benzylated arene (polyarylated products) in high yields and regioselectivities. In previous methods, the latter double Friedel-Crafts benzylations hardly proceed.