Dehydrogenation as a Substrate-Activating Strategy in Homogeneous Transition-Metal Catalysis

A study was conducted to demonstrate dehydrogenation as a substrate-activating strategy in homogeneous transition-metal catalysis. It was found that the substrate was activated by catalytic dehydrogenative oxidation that was followed by a bond construction step. These steps proceeded under 'one-pot' conditions with a single catalyst or two catalysts acting together. It was observed that the two catalysts required for the metathesis step and for the dehydrogenation and hydrogenation steps did not interfere with each. The study also demonstrated that the dehydrogenation step had the potential to function as a mode of alcohol activation along with performing C-H bond activation.