Silver-catalyzed site-selective C(sp3)−H benzylation of ethers with N-triftosylhydrazones.

The insertion of carbenes into the α-C–H bonds of ethers represents one of the most powerful approaches to access polysubstituted α-branched ethers. However, intermolecular carbene insertions remain challenging, since current approaches are generally limited to the use of toxic and potentially explosive α-diazocarbonyl compounds. We now report a silver-catalyzed α-C–H benzylation of ethers using bench-stable N-triftosylhydrazones as safe and convenient carbene precursors. This approach is well suited for both inter- and intramolecular insertions to deliver medicinally relevant homobenzylic ethers and 5–8-membered oxacycles in good yields. The synthetic utility of this strategy is demonstrated by its easy scalability, broad scope with valuable functional groups, high regioselectivity, and late-stage functionalization of complex oxygen-containing molecules. The relative reactivities of different types of silver carbenes and C−H bonds were also investigated by experments and DFT calculations. A state-of-the-art tool in synthetic organic chemistry is a rhodium diazocarbene species, which despite its flexibility, is derived from expensive and highly reactive species. Here the authors present a methodology for C–H benzylation of ethers via an analogous silver carbene species, obtained from a more common metal and a more stable starting material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]