Methanol is an abundant, renewable chemical feedstock. Here, a homogenous iridium catalyst enables a byproduct-free C–C coupling of methanol and allenes, producing higher alcohols that incorporate all-carbon quaternary centres. This process represents the first catalytic C–C coupling of methanol to provide discrete products of hydrohydroxymethylation.
- Joseph Moran
- Angelika Preetz
- Michael J. Krische