Aluminosilicate-mediated C(sp2)–H alkylation of furans using allylic alcohols

Abstract

Alkyl furans have a variety of applications and therefore numerous approaches exist for their synthesis. While these methods can be effective, there are various drawbacks largely associated with the waste generated. Herein we report a novel method for the direct coupling of readily available furans with allylic alcohols. These include terpenoid alcohols such as geraniol and prenol, which are readily available from renewable, bio-derived feedstocks. Furthermore, the reaction is facilitated using aluminosilicates, including zeolites. It was found that Y-type zeolites were highly effective at mediating the coupling with furan, giving the 2-alkylated furan high yields. While various allylic alcohols were effective for this reaction, the identity of the furan proved to have a drastic impact on reactivity. For substituted furans, the reaction proved most effective with an amorphous aluminosilicate and calculations later revealed potential key factors in further developing and generalizing this methodology.