Benzylation of arenes with benzyl ethers promoted by the in situ prepared superacid BF3–H2O†
Abstract
An efficient and environmentally friendly benzylation of arenes with benzyl ethers as benzyl donors using BF3–Et2O to generate in situ the superacid BF3–H2O as an efficient promotor has been described. A wide variety of functional groups have been investigated and found to be compatible to give the desired diarylmethanes in yields of up to 99%. The crucial role of the moisture content in this transformation has been demonstrated by detailed investigations.