Bench-stable oxidant sodium percarbonate for functional group transformation of arylboronic acids

Abstract

Sodium percarbonate (2Na2CO3·3H2O2, sodium carbonate-hydrogen peroxide, SPC), an easily accessible and bench-stable hydrogen peroxide-solid adduct based on inorganic salt, was efficiently used as a solid hydroxylating reagent for the ipso-hydroxylation of arylboronic acids under mild conditions, affording the corresponding phenols in an excellent manner at a fast rate. Moreover, a solvent-free solid-state reaction system using SPC for the oxidative hydroxylation of arylboronic acids was also demonstrated. Furthermore, subsequent treatment with benzyl halide was successfully performed, providing an alternative synthetic route for preparing benzyl phenyl ethers in a one-pot tandem reaction system.