Autoxidative Carbon–Carbon Bond Formation from Carbon–Hydrogen Bonds

Only oxygen and acid! The oxidative coupling of xanthene and other activated benzylic compounds with carbon nucleophiles such as ketones, can be performed under ambient conditions without solvent by simply using oxygen and catalytic amounts of methanesulfonic acid. The proposed reaction mechanism involves substrate activation by formation of hydroperoxides; the method can therefore be regarded as an “autoxidative coupling reaction”.