Reductive coupling of carbonyl compounds promoted by cobalt or titanium nanoparticles

Abstract

The reaction of a series of aldehydes and ketones with readily prepared cobalt or titanium nanoparticles, under mild reaction conditions, led to the obtention of different reductive dimerization products depending on the nature of the transition metal used. Cobalt nanoparticles (CoNPs) allowed the selective transformation of the starting carbonyl compounds into vicinal diols, whereas the reaction promoted by titanium nanoparticles (TiNPs) led to the formation of the corresponding alkenes. In this last case, the use of trimethylsilyl chloride (TMSCl) as additive, at 0 oC, also allowed the obtention of vicinal diols after acidic aqueous work-up.